Cinemark set to reopen Pittsburgh-area theaters

Cinemark plans to reopen four theaters in the Pittsburgh area in early July.

Cinemark’s website said the North Hills and Robinson locations will be among the first Cinemark theaters to open in Pennsylvania, on July 3. The move is part of the company’s phased reopening from the covid-19 shutdown.

Theaters in Monroeville and Center Township, Beaver County, are in a group that will open July 10.

A Cinemark theater in the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills in Frazer has been permanently closed.

The company said customers will notice enhanced cleanliness, sanitizing and safety measures at its theaters.

It includes disinfecting auditoriums each morning, sanitizing seats before every movie and having hand sanitizer and seat wipes available.

Auditorium capacities are being reduced. Cinemark is encouraging customers to buy tickets online, and cash will not be accepted for snack purchases. Popcorn and drinks will not be refilled.

The Plano, Texas-based company details its efforts on its website.

Three Cinemark locations in Texas are the first that will reopen, on Friday, followed by two more in Texas on June 26.

In addition to Beaver County and Monroeville, locations in Erie, Moosic, Philadelphia and Stroudsburg will reopen July 10.

Cinemark’s reopening schedule runs through July 24.

Cinemark closed all of its theaters on March 18.

Cinemark reported revenues of $543.6 million in the first quarter this year, down about 24% from $714.7 million in the first quarter of 2019.

“As a direct result of the global covid-19 pandemic, we were forced to close all of our theaters in the middle of March, which had a significant impact on our first quarter results, and continues to impact us today,” said Mark Zoradi, Cinemark chief executive officer. “We are looking forward to welcoming our guests and team members back to our theaters and are pleased to have now shifted our attention to domestic reopening, which we plan to initiate in a multi-phased approach beginning June 19.”