The flagship Premium Cinemas returned to its original location on Churchville Road in Bel Air on Friday night and opened to the public with luxurious heated recliners, a state-of-the-art sound system and two newly upgraded large premium format auditoriums. Publication has resumed.
There has been a movie theater here for decades, with the flagship in the space from 2001 to 2014.
“It’s a lot different than before,” said Paul Wenger, president of Flagship Premium Cinemas.
In the early 2000s, running the flagship Churchville store was a family affair for Wenger. Although Flagship was headquartered in Baltimore but had locations as far north as Maine, he and his children regularly worked at a theater in Churchville. Both his son and eldest daughter work at the snack bar, and the son also rose through the ranks to become a supervisor.
“We spent many weekends there and it was just a fun time. It was a really great time,” Wenger said.
Many of Flagship’s staffers at the time were local high school students who stayed with the theater through college and beyond, many working there for more than a decade. Some employees, including former manager Lisa Nelson, remained with the company after the Churchville location was sold. Nelson currently works in administration.
Until Flagship Premium Cinemas first took possession of the space at 2408 Churchville Road in Bel Air in 2001, the building was occupied by theater chains Loews Theaters and AMC Theaters, Wenger said. Ta. When Flagship first bought the property in 2001, it was abandoned, the windows boarded up and graffiti strewn inside, Wenger said. The flagship store operated there for 13 years before renovating it and selling it.
Toward the end of 2013, a company called Digiplex approached Flagship about acquiring space in Churchville and another in Pennsylvania, and a deal was struck. Over the course of about two years, Digiplex was acquired by the now-defunct Carmike Cinemas and then by AMC Theaters, which operated the Churchville movie theater for about eight years, Wenger said.
Since AMC Theaters transitioned earlier this year, Wenger said he and his staff have been working diligently over the past four months to complete the renovations by fall and reopen under the Flagship name.
“It kind of reminds you of your childhood, and you remember having so much fun when you were young, and when you come back later, those fond memories come back,” Wenger said. “And when the opportunity came to take possession of the place again, we didn’t hesitate. I mean, we went straight to work.
“What we had before was more than adequate 12 years ago, but since the pandemic, the industry has changed and consumer habits have changed,” Wenger said. “The public’s demands today are better than they were 12 years ago, so we were very pleased when we were able to secure the contract.”
The space still has seven auditoriums, but Wenger said each now has heated recliners, curved screens 5 to 6 feet tall and wide, and a state-of-the-art sound system. It is said that it has been done. The theater has a total of 400 single-seater recliners, with the two largest theaters having 100 each.
Patrons will also experience upgrades like self-serve popcorn and fountain drinks with same-day refills, and a new “One Price” model that offers a single ticket price for all movies, all age groups, and all showtimes. It is said that it will be possible. News release. These components are part of the flagship ‘Cinema Redefined’ concept, which aims to make the movie-watching experience more affordable.
“I started working as a movie theater usher when I was 16, so I remember when movie tickets were much cheaper than they are now,” Wenger said. “What we had to do was make it affordable enough for families to go to the movie theater, so they could say, ‘Either pay for the car yourself or bring your family. It’s not like, ‘Do I go to five movies?’ ”
The Churchville location has discounted prices on Tuesdays, at $7 per ticket, and $11 per ticket on other days of the week.
Have a news tip? Contact Brennan Stewart at bstewart@baltsun.com, 443-800-5902 or @BrennanStewart_ on X.
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