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Date: 11/13/2015
AGAWAM – The Agawam Cinemas opened its doors on Nov. 6, and owner Kim Wheeler said the first weekend in business was more than she could have dreamed.
“When we had the ribbon cutting, we had the mayor, the City Council, and everybody that was there said it was the most attended ribbon cutting they’ve seen,” Wheeler said. “I never anticipated that. It been amazing, the support we had all weekend. It convinced me that we’re going to be here to stay.”
The community has been waiting for the reopening of the Agawam Cinemas since Wheeler undertook the project – renovating and revamping the theater – last October.
Rather than continuing as a second-run theater, which would show movies weeks after they have premiered nationwide, Wheeler made the decision to switch to first-run, competing with larger movie theater chains in the area. In its grand opening, Agawam Cinemas ran “Spectre,” the new James Bond film, and “The Peanuts Movie,” which were the nation’s two top-grossing movies for that weekend.
Though Wheeler could not put an exact number on it, she said hundreds of people filtered through the cinemas over the course of the weekend. While Saturday’s showings sold out, Wheeler said some people just wanted to see the improvements, popping in to say hello and check out the lobby.
“The plaza had a full parking lot, which is something this plaza has not seen in years,” Wheeler said. “It’s really amazing to have all these people come in, shake my hand and give us compliments. It made every minute of the struggle worth it.”
Customers were thrilled, she said, with everything from the improvement of temperature control in the auditoriums to the quality of the picture. They even had a chance to experience one of a kind concessions.
East Longmeadow’s Maureen’s Sweet Shoppe and Popcorn Emporium has created a custom line of snacks for Agawam Cinemas, including chocolate covered Oreos and special gummy bears, which sold out the first weekend.
“The quality of her candy is top notch. As soon as I took over, I wanted to coordinate with her to create a line of goodies that people couldn’t get anywhere else, something special for them at Agawam Cinemas,” Wheeler said.
With low ticket prices, Wheeler said customers can afford to dig into the concessions without feeling a strain on their wallets. She wanted to keep ticket prices reasonable so a family with a tight budget could still enjoy a night to the movies.
The next step, Wheeler said, is maintaining the unique experience for her customers.
“My next goal is to make sure that we find our footing and keep it spicy,” she said. “I’d like to do new things, different things. Maybe a costume contest for the ‘Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2’ premiere. I want to do events that you won’t see at a larger chain and pay attention to details that make the movie going experience special for everyone that comes.”
For more information and show times, visit http://agawamcinemas.org/.