The next time you visit the Marcus Majestic Theatre, you may find yourself staying for more than a movie.
It's part of a renovation trend at Marcus' Milwaukee-area theaters that is currently working its way into four of the company's locations.
For example, the Majestic, 770 N. Springdale Road in the town of Brookfield, has relocated and added to its Take Five Lounge, where customers can enjoy beverages, appetizers and meal options before or after a movie. Take Five is also available for group outings or to watch sporting events on several televisions in the lounge.
The theater also now features a Reel Sizzle restaurant with menu items inspired by classic Hollywood and the iconic diners of the 1950s. The Reel Sizzle, which is the first of its kind for Marcus Theatres, offers burgers, sandwiches and other Americana fare on a griddle at a counter area.
New experience
The new amenities at the Majestic — and other Marcus Theatres — come after two years of brainstorming, said Rolando Rodriguez, president and chief executive officer of Marcus Theatres.
'We've been testing new concepts for the past few years,' Rolando said. 'We really began to look at the overall entertainment aspect of the movie-going experience … and we really put our heads together.'
The result was an emphasis on comfortable seating, diverse food options and a social environment that turned Marcus Theatres locations into 'entertainment destinations,' Rodriguez said.
'We took the very best that a consumer has at home and we made (the experience) better,' Rodriguez said. 'What used to be a two or two-and-a-half hour movie going experience can now entertain you for three or four hours.'
Each renovation is specifically suited for the individual theater location, Rodriguez said.
'We're not looking to cookie-cut each amenity for all of our theaters,' he said. 'It's our job to build something that accommodates the customer (of each location).'
Enhancing the theaters
The company has spent approximately $100 million in capital investments to renovate, in various degrees, more than 40 percent of its movie theater locations throughout the Midwest, he said.
Marcus Theatres owns and operates nearly 700 screens across Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, North Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska, according to the company's website.
Several factors are considered when deciding which amenities to add to a theater, including the size of the building.
South Shore Cinema, 7261 S. 13th St., is one of three Marcus Theatres in the Milwaukee area undergoing significant renovation to enhance the movie-going experience for customers.
The South Shore renovations will also include a Take Five Lounge, plus a new Zaffiro's Express restaurant, which will allow customers to enjoy handmade pizza both in the theater lobby and inside an auditorium during a movie.
But you can't forget about the recliners.
More than 1,400 DreamLoungers — Marcus' trademarked name for the reserved leather recliners — were installed in South Shore earlier this year. Every auditorium in the theater now offers the recliners.
South Shore is the second Marcus Theatres location in the Milwaukee area to offer the recliners in every auditorium, following Menomonee Falls Cinema, W180 N9393 Premier Lane.
Similarly, Southgate Cinema in Milwaukee, 3330 S. 30th St., will unveil a new lobby area, new concession stand, self-serve drinks and DreamLounge recliners for its SuperScreen DLX auditorium later this month.
So far, the reception to the theaters' new amenities has been very positive, Rodriguez said, hinting that the company may 'not be done with all of the surprises.'
'This is our hometown, our corporate locations are here (in Milwaukee), and we will continue to make sure we'll have the latest and greatest amenities for our greatest customers,' he said.