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May 14, 2021

Three movie theaters open in New Haven county

PHOTO | Courtesy Regal
By Joanna Smiley

Regal theaters in Waterbury and Waterford, along with Bowtie Cinemas Marquis 16 and BTX in Trumbull, opened for business May 14. 

Gov. Ned Lamont announced he will lift all pandemic-related restrictions on May 19, allowing restaurants, theaters and other businesses to open at full capacity. 

“May 19 represents a significant milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic, as it allows for all businesses to operate without the restrictions that have been in place for the past year,” Lamont said via email Friday. “It means people can start to get more comfortable with activities and routines they perhaps enjoyed before the pandemic like going to a movie and eating a bucket of popcorn on a Friday night. As our vaccination rate rises and our test positivity rate falls, we’re hopeful that more people will enjoy these venues and support these businesses.” 

Bowtie Cinemas in Trumbull will entice May 14 moviegoers by offering them a free small popcorn with the purchase of a beverage.

Safety requirements at both Regal and Bowtie include a mask mandate except while eating or drinking in a designated seat, along with required daily employee health screenings.

Regal also runs a CinemaSafe program developed by epidemiologists and commissioned by the National Association of Theatre Owners, the largest trade organization in the world representing over 35,000 movie screens.

“We have reviewed our plans with leading infectious diseases experts, who stated that "Regal Theatres' reopening plan is consistent with the safety practices recommended by the Centers for Disease Control for operating public event spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Regal stated in a release.

In October 2020, Regal’s parent company, Cineworld Group, temporarily suspended operations to all of its 536 theaters in the country, which span 42 states, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, its impact on movie releases, and sustained key market closures such as New York in the decision.

Mooky Greidinger, CEO of Cineworld, said it was “not a decision we made lightly.” The closures impacted nearly 40,000 employees. 

Some smaller independent theaters including Cine 4 on Middletown Ave. remain open, while Madison Art Cinemas, which has been in business for 25 years, decided to stay closed citing COVID-19 difficulties with reopening.

Contact Joanna Smiley at jsmiley@newhavenbiz.com

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