Cinemark to bow out of Macedonia as B&B Theatres leases complex for its 1st Ohio location
A Macedonia movie theater complex will take a long intermission when it changes hands next month from Cinemark to a chain that's making its Ohio debut.
B&B Theatres has entered into a lease arrangement with Osborne Capital Group to operate the multiplex. The company operates movie theaters in 14 other states and is the fifth-largest movie theater chain in the United States. In a news release, B&B Theatres said the property transfer will be completed March 1. Then, said Paul Farnsworth, director of public relations for B&B Theatres, the theater will close for remodeling that's expected to finish sometime this fall.
Expected upgrades include heated, electric recliners in every auditorium, a full bar and a menu including hamburgers, fries, chicken tenders, pizza, hot dogs and more.
Representatives from Cinemark could not be reached for comment.
B&B Theatres isn't the only company taking over an existing theater space. In January, Aurora Mayor Ann Womer Benjamin said a lease agreement to renovate and reopen the Barrington Plaza theater, another Cinemark theater that closed during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been finalized between Atlas Cinemas and Guggenheim Real Estate Group. Atlas Cinemas, which operates several other Cleveland-area movie theaters, is planning to reopen the theater sometime in the spring.
Some area movie theaters have shut down amid the industry's struggle to regain its post-pandemic footing. Regal movie theaters closed last year in Montrose and Green after Cineworld, the chain's parent company, filed for bankruptcy in 2022. Regal still has locations in Medina, Hudson and Massillon. Cineworld emerged from its Chapter 11 bankruptcy status in July.
Reporter April Helms can be reached at ahelms@thebeaconjournal.com
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Macedonia Cinemark will be transformed to B&B Theatres multiplex
