B & B Theatres - Thoughts? Opinions?

[An4h0ny]

One of our local theaters just changed hands (again) from Frank's to B&B.

I liked Frank's but just not sure if B&B is on the same level or not?

This is an "entertainment complex" with a restaurant, bowling, arcade, etc... and the big draw was that this was an "IMAX" location. Quotes b/c it was not true IMAX but rather IMAX digital. It was still an awesome screen.

I'm assuming the new owners don't want to pay for the IMAX licensing/brand and are switching to “Premium Large Format Grand Screen”

Just wondering if anyone else has a B&B location that did this and what it was like when they were done.

Story and link below:

https://www.bbtheatres.com/blacksbur.../theatre-info/

The B&B Theatres in Blacksburg announced it will install a new screen in the auditorium to replace the IMAX format.

The installation of what the company calls its signature “Premium Large Format Grand Screen” is among a few developments that the ownership says will be made at the Blacksburg movie theater over the next several weeks and will come just months after B&B Theatres took over ownership of the venue.

“The auditorium will no longer be an IMAX branded facility, but that in no way diminishes the presentation,” B&B Theatres spokesman Paul Farnsworth wrote in an email. “Screen size will remain the same, and the exceptional enhancements will be made to seating, audio and a few other amenities yet to be finalized.”

The other development will be the relocation of the upper floor arcade to the main floor, where it will be given an “updated modern look” and a host of new games, according to a company announcement.

The relocation of the arcade won’t impact the existing McClain’s restaurant and bowling alley, each of which will remain open during the remodeling, Farnsworth said.

The movie theater opened in early 2015 under the ownership of the Frank Entertainment Group. With the IMAX screen being among the venue’s highly touted features upon its opening, the movie theater has been one of the First & Main shopping center’s anchor businesses.

Just a few years after a much publicized landlord-tenant dispute between First & Main management and the Frank Entertainment Group, the movie venue was briefly under the control of Paragon Theaters before B&B Theatres assumed ownership late last year.

B&B Theatres, which is based out of the Kansas City area, formally renamed the venue to the Blacksburg 11 with B-Roll Bowling. The company reopened the theater following months of closure due to the pandemic.

The installation of the new screen in the former IMAX auditorium will come with some audio and visual enhancements, according to B&B Theatres.

The audio enhancement will involve the addition of what B&B Theatres refers to as “DTS:X immersive digital surround sound,” which the company said will provide a real-life auditory feel by creating a multi-dimensional sound that moves around the audience.

The company will also incorporate dive lighting to allow for custom lighting and ambiance specific to the movie being shown.

For example, for the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick film, viewers can expect to walk into an auditorium flooded with red, white and blue lights, according to the company. For a retro showing of the 1980s classic Pretty in Pink, the company said viewers can expect the room to be doused in pink floral hue.

Another addition to the Grand Screen room will be the installation of heated and electric leather recliners.

The remodel is expected to be complete by July.