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With leather recliner chairs, digital menus and a full bar and lounge, it might be easy to forget that Mountain View’s newest theater also shows movies.
Opening this week, the new ShowPlace Icon theater at the San Antonio shopping center is planning to carve out a niche as a luxury version of the standard multiplex. The new theater will include 10 auditoriums, including three high-end screens showcasing the latest in viewing technology.
The new theater is one of the final pieces of Merlone Geier’s second phase of plans to transform the San Antonio Shopping Center into a live-work-play complex. Next door to the new cinema is a towering 400,000-square-foot office that soon will house hundreds of Facebook employees, which the theater’s owners say should provide a reliable source of business.
The luxury movie theater is not a new concept for Mountain View. In a recent remodel, the Century Cinema 16 on Shoreline Boulevard added plush lounge chairs to its theaters. Many other Bay Area cinemas have also updated their concessions stands to serve fancier fare than candy, hot dogs and popcorn.
Adding sumptuous amenities has been a vital new market for the struggling theater industry. Ticket sales last year at U.S. theaters were reportedly the lowest in 27 years, according to Box Office Mojo, an industry research firm. That slump is largely attributed to the rise of Netflix and other streaming platforms.
But reports of the death of theaters are greatly exaggerated, says Tony Kerasotes, ShowPlace Icon CEO. His family’s business has operated U.S. theaters for three generations, starting in 1909. Through every period of doldrums, there’s been an upswing around the corner, he said, pointing out that 2018 is already showing signs of a turnaround.
“The industry is always going through changes,” he said. “It’s survived radio, TV, HBO, made-for-TV movies. It survived the videotape, the DVD, the Blu-ray. People shouldn’t be so quick to bury us because we’ve been here for a long time.”
The latest shift for theater companies has been to create a premier experience with sound systems and screens that no home theater could replicate. If theater-goers will only splurge on the latest big-ticket film say, the new “Star Wars” or Marvel sequel then cinemas are inclined to make the experience as sensational as possible.
Showplace Icon representatives made a point of emphasizing their three top-of-the-line auditoriums equipped with RealD 3D projection, “Icon-X premium large format” screens and Dolby Atmos speakers. Those auditoriums include a second floor “VIP” area connected to a 21-and-over bar and lounge. Hungry patrons can go to a digital kiosk to order a selection of meals including ahi tuna salad bowls, salmon fillets and burgers. Beer, wine and cocktails will be readily available.
The seating, all of which is reservation-only, consists of leather recliners with optional heating and the promise of at least 6 feet of legroom, and side tables for food or drinks. Kerasotes says those extra features means they can fit only about half the number of seats as a conventional movie theater.
If that’s the case, then how much will tickets cost? Icon company representatives couldn’t immediately answer that question, except to say that it will depend on the auditorium and time of day. It certainly won’t be the cheapest theater in the area, but it also won’t be the most expensive, Kerasotes said.
Mountain View was a natural location for this kind of upscale theater, Kerasotes said, since it has the right mix of neighborhoods with high levels of density, income and education. Showplace Icon has opened only one similar high-end theater, located in Boston, but up to three more are planned in the near future, including a 10-screen cinema at the Westfield Valley Fair Mall in San Jose that’s expected to open by the year’s end.
Opening a new theater in a market like Silicon Valley also presents some challenges. In Mountain View, Showplace Icon faced difficulty recruiting qualified workers, and has been holding weekend hiring fairs for the last month. Company representatives say they hope to eventually have 140 workers and 15 managers, but for now they have enough to open up.
Another hurdle is the city’s review and inspection process, which Kerasotes described as moving at a slower and more deliberative pace than other parts of the country. The theater reportedly opened on its scheduled Oct. 5 opening date.
Correction: An earlier version of this story indicated that the theater was facing possible delays for its opening. Showplace Icon representatives say the theater successfully opened on Oct. 5
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Taverna co-owner Thanasis Pashalidis selects a bottle from the wine cellar in the back of the restaurant. Photo by Magali Gauthier. -
Nil Blackburn and Kristen O’Neill enjoy a glass of wine before dinner outside Taverna. Photo by Magali Gauthier. -
Taverna opened in downtown Palo Alto in April. Photo by Magali Gauthier.
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I look forward to this theatre opening, but I am not sure how it can be “one of the final pieces” in a shopping center that has so many unoccupied store fronts.
Looks good and much closer to where I live.
The website looks clean enough and I like the fact that if you register (free), I do not have to pay any service charge for booking online.
https://www.showplaceicon.com/Browsing/Cinemas/Compare?Cinemas=8859
It remains to be seen how great the laser projection is, however. I am spoiled by Dolby Vision projector in AMC Newark.
So we know that Shoreline will close, but at least we can park for free.
Will parking at this new theater be free? You mention that ticket prices have not been announced, but the cost will escalate if we have to pay for parking also.
I’d like to see it work. Redwood City’s downtown theater always seemed to be packed on weekends.
Looks like standard full price movies are $15 and $11.50 for 12 and under or seniors… but if you want to sit in the VIP 21+ section at the what I assume is the fancy theater it’s $22/seat.
Or maybe thats in all the theaters. They seem to differentiate what ticket comes with what features with handfuls of tiny icons that make picking a movie to see like trying to read heiroglyphs.
Advance tickets with the Cinemark app are $9 (monthly you get 1 ticket for your $9) and tix roll over.
Back to the days of loge balcony and floor being different prices
Too pricey. I will stay with Cinemark (Century 16, Santa Row and Palo Alto Square) Tuesday is discount day only $7, has leather recliners and free parking. Interesting that the ShowPlace charge for infants is $12! Great policy! They should charge the same for people who text during movies.
I hope this theater does not cause any traffic problems in Palo Alto, otherwise Pali alto will demand that the theater close.
Excited that this movie theatre is finally opening near our apartment. However, very concerned about traffic flow in this area. It is already badly congested on San Antonio between El Camino and 101, and the turn on California avenue is backed up during rush hour. With a movie theater here, won’t it get worse? Is the city doing anything to fix traffic issues?
“With a movie theater here, won’t it get worse? Is the city doing anything to fix traffic issues?”
The “city” does not act in a vacuum. If people have concerns then they need to write letters and/or attend council meetings and speak up & out about their concerns – about the traffic and any other issues concerning the development plans at San Antonio/NEC.
Thank you to everyone that came out last night, and we appreciated all of the kind words and great feedback. We look forward to meeting all of our new neighbors that are coming in this weekend. We have an 8 story FREE parking lot right next to us, and more FREE parking behind us.
The experience is tailor-made for adults and we feel that this is the best moviegoing experience in the market. The VIP seating can only be accessed through the Lobby Lounge, both of which are only for guests 21+. There is no better presentation than watching a movie on a Barco 4K Laser projector, Dolby Atmos immersive sound and a RealD Ultimate Screen.
This week will begin our $7 Tuesdays, so be sure to reserve your heated recliner on our website or app.
Enjoy your new theater and we look forward to meeting you.
“This week will begin our $7 Tuesdays, so be sure to reserve your heated recliner on our website or app.”
I would love to buy Tuesday tickets except that showtimes for Tuesday are not posted on your website or app.
The movie future are really unknown. Mtn View and Sunnyvale are installing new Theaters, while Cupertino just closed a relatively new AMC site. Will people pay more? Movie Pass sales made the theater sold out for many viewing times it now has slowed since the offers are not as good. $22 plus parking sound like a no sale even for $ilicon valley.
With the cost of XD experience, I suspect the cost for this newer spin is likely significantly higher and hopefully a better value. In my opinion the XD cost vs experience is flawed. unless of course your only expectation is a slightly more comfortable seat. Having surround speakers and more leg room at the additional cost when the view is actually worse than conventional seating, due to the location of XD seating and the overall experience is NOT better than conventional seating aside from leg room or surround audio. Better food? really? The crap they sell at theaters is just that, only alot more expensive. I can only imagine the cost of ahi tuna salad bowls, salmon fillets and burgers sold at a theater venue by pimply faced part time high school aged employees. I expect to see reports of food poisoning coming out of this.
Everyone complaining about the pricing. Its on par with everyone else. AMC Imax or Cinema its 20$ a ticket. XD Cinemark its a minimum of 12-15 depending on Movieclub member. The price for members is 15$ and 10.50$ for a premium movie experience i’m not complaining. I just want a great movie experience with plush seating, huge screen, and the best audio system money can buy. Just make an account its FREE ! Save 5$ per ticket no fees, whats not to like. I will be attending Venom tonight on Sunday. I will report back with reviews on video/audio quality. Ive been to every AMC cinema in the Bay area and also all XD theaters in the South bay and Peninsula.
Movie theaters are on the same track as video arcades, they are obsolete and soon to be replaced by in-home entertainment. The industry is already struggling and VR headsets will be the final nail.
Seems that Monday, Tuesday deeply discounted, I see ticket pricing at $6 online, less than Cinemark discount day of $7, not sure if that is a temporary loss leader but will definitely check it out, now all we need are some good movies!! The parking maybe challenging but I prefer to go to movies daytime, when everyone else is at work and the kids are in school
All these amenities and a high ticket price? What gets us to the movies is great film. How about The Stanford Theater in downtown Palo Alto where there’s plenty of free parking. For $7.00 (general admission) you can enjoy 2 classic movies, live organ music on the mighty Wurlitzer during intermissions and reasonably priced refreshments, all in a beautifully restored 1925 movie palace. The Stanford is annually voted best place to take a first date and if your first date is a long-ago memory, $5.00 for Seniors.
See you at the movies!
I am excited that a new theater is in town. Congratulations!
For me and my friends it is about the quality of the films. The leather seats, the food and drink, VIP? Don’t care – that only makes it more expensive. Glad there will be $7 Tuesdays – hopefully all day and evening for those who cannot afford more.
I also hope you will show not only Marvel, action, guns and explosion films, but also more thoughtful films such as shown by Landmark and CineArts and even at some at Century Shoerline. I live in Palo Alto but go to the surrounding cities to see movies – as do my friends. Will come to the Icon if parking continues to be free, prices truly affordable and in line with other theaters and a mix of film is shown that includes real quality.
I hope you at Icon reads this and it matters to you.
Again – welcome to the neighborhood.
I’m hoping to see “They Shall Not Grow Old”, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7905466/ It is a documentary about WW1 using old footage which has been brought up to modern standards using state of the art techniques. The trailer looks as if a magnificent job has been done. I really hope we get a chance to see this here in America.
Take bus 35 …reduce traffic if you really care
How long before this new theater also is confiscated by the Mountain View City Council by “right of eminent domain”, to turn its land into either an LASD Bullis school, or just another huge high density “affordable housing disaster” — with an emphasis on “NOT Affordable”??? If I were a real estate investor, I’d be avoiding MV like as horrible anti-capitalist plague — which it has become. “The Road to Hell is Paved With Good (and totally ignorant) intentions.” Realism beats “good intentions” ever time, and even ignorant fools should realize that.
We’ll certainly give this new cinema a try, just to see how their Descriptive Audio system works in comparison to the one at Century Cinema on Shoreline. Long term, it will depend on whether we can get discount tickets at Costco (like we can for Century), or get used to coming in on Tuesdays when the new cinema discounts its tickets heavily.
Plenty of free parking next to it with the new multilevel public garage open. Good service at the bar. Great quality seats and sound projection – will be back.