We’ve already seen the news about what guidelines the large theater chains in the US—AMC, Cinemark, and Regal—will be using to make sure movie-goers are kept safe during the COVID-19 pandemic when they reopen in July. And now, it appears that Alamo Drafthouse has come forward with its plan, and the cinema chain is probably taking the most aggressive stance towards safety of everyone so far.
In a blog post that will be published by Alamo (but shared early by Insider), CEO Tim League wrote about all the precautions that the cinema chain is taking to ensure that no one gets sick due to watching a film at the company’s various locations.
READ MORE: AMC “Reverses Course” & Will Now Require Everyone To Wear Masks When Cinemas Reopen
Some of the guidelines that will be imposed in Alamo Drafthouse locations when they reopen are the obvious stuff, such as a mask requirement (except when eating and drinking), as well as social distancing (two-seat buffers between guests) and online ticketing/food ordering to limit the interaction between employees and customers. In addition, tables and chairs will use electrostatic fogger and disinfectant between screenings, with disinfectant wipes being readily available all throughout the cinema. And on the employee side of things, they will be regularly temperature checked and will wear PPE and wash their hands every 30 mins.
All of these precautions are meant to make the Alamo Drafthouse locations “safer than a supermarket,” according to boss Tim League.
“We want you to feel safe,” League said. “Our driving principle has been to make the Alamo Drafthouse experience one of the safest possible indoor activities — ‘safer than a supermarket’ — and far exceed the expectations you already have for supermarkets, gyms, and restaurants. We intend to make it so that you can leave your car, make it to your seat, enjoy your food and drinks, and be able to leave having never come within six feet of another person other than when your order is delivered, and having never touched a surface other than your chair and table — both of which will be sanitized between screenings with an electrostatic fogger and disinfectant.”
It’s unclear what date Alamo expects to reopen. Right now, most cinemas are planning for July reopening, with AMC, Regal, and Cinemark all opening their doors during that month, paving the way for Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” to arrive on July 31. You would assume that Alamo will follow suit, as the company knows that Nolan’s film is the best chance the cinema chain has at earning money during this time.
You can read the entire blog post below:
How We’ll Reopen Alamo Drafthouse
Safer than a supermarket – aggressive safety protocols, new food and beverage methods, and masks for all.
A Message from Tim League
Our team has spent countless hours working from our home offices, couches, and backyards, each dedicated to crafting the safest possible cinematic experience for our guests and team. It’s not quite time to turn the projectors back on, but we’re getting very close – so I’d like to share where we’re at and what’s ahead as we finalize how we’ll reopen Alamo Drafthouse locations this summer.
We want you to feel safe. Our driving principle has been to make the Alamo Drafthouse experience one of the safest possible indoor activities – “safer than a supermarket” – and far exceed the expectations you already have for supermarkets, gyms, and restaurants. We intend to make it so that you can leave your car, make it to your seat, enjoy your food and drinks, and be able to leave having never come within six feet of another person other than when your order is delivered, and having never touched a surface other than your chair and table – both of which will be sanitized between screenings with an electrostatic fogger and disinfectant.
The steps outlined below will dramatically increase physical distancing, introduce enhanced and exhaustive new cleaning procedures, and temporarily change our service model. To do this, we’re revising and reimagining how we do things, and how you experience Alamo Drafthouse. That’s no small task – it means flexing a model we’ve refined for over twenty years – and we know we’ll need to stay nimble as we learn new and better methods, continuously gather feedback from our guests, and as the battle against COVID-19 continues.
Our anticipation is that if and when the threat of COVID-19 truly begins to recede, we’ll be able to carefully and gradually begin operating like normal. We’ll be able to ease off of many precautions, but some of these common-sense measures will continue indefinitely, while others will evolve into new things.
Briefly, here’s what to expect. To find more details in your area, visit drafthouse.com/welcomeback.
DISTANCING
All ticketing will be handled online, with at least two buffer seats providing at least six feet of physical distancing between groups.
MASKS FOR ALL
We require that guests wear masks at all times except when eating and drinking. If you need a mask, we’ll provide you with one for free.
Once you’re seated you’ll be at least six or more feet distanced from other groups on all sides, and you may remove it for eating and drinking. In coordination with local and state regulations, we ask that you keep your mask on while you wait for your food or drink, and put it back on after you are finished.
MINIMIZING INTERACTION
In many theaters, food ordering and gratuity will be done in advance and online when you purchase your tickets. That means there’ll be no payment processing at the theater, and your interactions with our team members will be minimized.
SANITIZATION
Each auditorium – and specifically chairs and tables – will be sanitized between screenings with an electrostatic fogger and disinfectant. We’ll also have hand sanitizing wipes at your table for you to use.
TEMP CHECK
All teammates will have their temperatures taken prior to starting work. And where needed, guests will also have their temperatures taken on their way inside.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
All Alamo Drafthouse teammates will wear masks and gloves at all times, and they’ll regularly change their gloves and wash their hands at least every thirty minutes.
The reopening isn’t going to happen all at once. We operate 41 locations from coast-to-coast, spanning 23 regions and ten states, which have each been impacted by and are handling the COVID-19 threat differently. We are closely monitoring COVID-19 data trends in each community we serve. In cities or counties that have sustained a very low per capita rate of infection, we may choose to relax some of these protocols when we reopen their theaters.
However, we are not pinning our security solely to state and local regulations. Those are the base level – we intend to stay vigilant, carefully watch the data, and to escalate our protocols at a moment’s notice.
Our first step will be, in early July, reopening one or two locations as “learning labs” of sorts, where we’ll kick the tires and figure out how to make these new procedures work across our company. We expect other locations to come online after that – a few at first, and the rest when we believe we’re ready and when we believe that the risk in that area has declined. When we can announce these first locations, we’ll let you know first via our social media and email.
There’s much more to share, and we’ve extensively outlined more details at drafthouse.com/welcomeback.
We’re looking forward to getting back to what we love to do – bringing you the best of film, food, and drink. This next phase will be different from what we’re all used to. It won’t always be ideal. But if we all continue to do our part, it won’t be forever.
Thank you. We’ll see you soon.
Tim League
Founder & Executive Chairman
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
