Following the August opening of AMC Theatres’ new Theatre Support Center in Leawood’s Park Place complex, the neighboring AMC Town Center 20 is now undergoing a multimillion dollar renovation to revamp the entire megaplex.
“Just about every aspect of the theater will be touched in some way,” AMC spokesman Ryan Noonan said. “Everything from plush recliners being the seating in just about every auditorium to an enhanced food and beverage area,” Noonan said.
Additionally, a MacGuffins Bar and an AMC Prime auditorium – AMC’s version of the large screen format auditorium – are being installed, and the IMAX auditorium is being retained. There will be new speakers, new sound systems and new screens in every other auditorium.
Construction began in early January and is expected to last until mid-spring. Currently only the right wing of eight auditoriums is operational, where the upgrades have already been completed.
AMC Ward Parkway underwent a similar renovation in late 2011, which reduced seating capacity by about two-thirds yet yielded a tripling of attendance. Town Center’s seat reduction won’t be as significant. Noonan says this trend continues across the country at similarly renovated AMC theaters.
“People are coming more often, and people who haven’t been out to the movie theaters in a while, they’re coming out and trying it, they’re loving it and so they’re coming out more often,” Noonan said. “So we want people to be excited about coming out to the movies, and we’re finding with these renovations, that’s what’s happening.”
Karen Kreamer, a Leawood resident and frequent Town Center moviegoer, is looking forward to the added comfort from the recliners and the wider food selection.
“I like the fact that they’re going to increase the food choices that they have there too because anytime you can get a nice range of food, beyond just popcorn and candy, I think that adds a lot,” she said. “Whether it’s healthier options or just more a range of options, that’s really going to be more customer friendly I think, and more people will enjoy their experience.”
One new (or rather, returning) amenity may not excite some guests, however: reserved seating. The specifics haven’t been nailed down yet, though Noonan anticipates the entire theater will use reserved seating once the renovations are complete.
Town Center originally implemented reserved seating from October 2009 until July 2011. The AMC press release about ending the policy said that despite its success in other theaters, “guests at AMC Town Center indicated their preference for open seating at that location.”
Kreamer was one of those guests who preferred open seating.
“I hated the reserved seating. I hated it. Because then you had to start going online and picking your seats, you couldn’t really tell which seats were which, and even if you went to the front lobby area and you bought them there, you still couldn’t see exactly what seats were available and what seats were taken up,” she said.
Whether or not guests embrace reserved seating this time around, at least the policy is better suited for the reduced capacity than it was for the theater before the new renovations. Noonan says that after more than 16 years of being open, Town Center needed more than just an interior facelift.
“Ultimately it comes down to making sure we’re doing what’s right for the guests: providing them with an incredible moviegoing experience,” Noonan said. “So that’s what we focus on. We find [when] we focus on quality, and we focus on what our guests want and what they need, the results turn out spectacular.”
“Our guests in Kansas City get to try a number of initiatives here locally before they’re available nationally. AMC Studio 30 was one of the first dine-in movie theaters in the country. AMC Ward Parkway was one of the first theaters to get the full renovation with the plush-power recliners in every auditorium. Barrywoods was the first theater to get the AMC Prime large screen format concept.”
“Well it’s less to do with other theaters, although certainly that the Kansas City market is one of the best in the country in terms of the quality of movie theaters from an AMC standpoint. But Town Center, it was an older building, I think it opened in ‘97. So you’re looking at 15, 16, 17 years now of being open. It needed some attention. Instead of just going in and putting new paint on and throwing down new carpet, we wanted to make it truly an amazing experience for our guests. And that’s really what the ultimate driver is.”