Kendall 10 theater expanding in Oswego

Oswego’s Kendall 10 movie theater is set to become Kendall 11 after Oswego village trustees approved an expansion plan for the theater along with a request to allow it to sell alcoholic beverages this past week.

In a unanimous ballot, trustees approved owner Goodrich Quality Theaters' plans to expand and renovate its theater at 95 Fifth Street in the Townes Crossing shopping center, just south of U.S. Route 30.

According to project plans, a 9,089-square-foot addition will be constructed onto the west side of the 26,019-square-foot building to accommodate a large format screen theater.

Heath Thomas, a regional manager for Goodrich, said the new and renovated theaters will offer “hybrid” chairs in the back of the auditoriums which will feature wider cup holders and armrests than conventional theater chairs.

Electric recliners will be installed in the front of the theaters, Thomas said. He noted it is now difficult to look up at the screen from a regular chair and the reclining option will provide patrons with a better view of the whole screen.

Though the theater will increase in size, the total number of seats in the building will decrease from 1,760 to 1,669, according to board documents.

Goodrich also plans to offer full reserve seating, which means each ticket will be sold with a seat and row number rather than a first come, first served option, Thomas said.

“You can’t complete that before 'Star Wars' comes out?” asked Karin McCarthy-Lange, joking.

Thomas said that Kendall 10 has experienced a loss of business and about a 40 percent drop in attendance in recent years since the opening of a theater in Yorkville and now requires the renovation and additional theater to remain viable. Neighborhood Cinema Group opened the NCG Theater in Yorkville in November 2013.

Trustee Luis Perez asked what took Goodrich so long to propose its renovation and expansion project.

Thomas said that it really came down “to the banker” and that they now have the funds available to do the renovations and expansion. He said they had looked to do it back in 2007-08, but with the 2008 recession they had to change plans to “make our bankers happy” since they are not a publicly owned company.

Thomas said that in their experience when they’ve done a remodel like the one proposed they “grew the market” and expect the same to happen in Oswego.

“I think it’s a great idea you’re doing this remodeling,” said Trustee Joe West. “I think it’s really going to help out.”

The other change to the theater is the Goodrich's request to offer alcoholic beverages to patrons. Because the village does not have a classification of license for movie theaters, village staff created the Class “O” liquor license that would be specific to Kendall 10.

The license would limit alcoholic consumption only on premises and alcoholic beverages would not be served to anyone attending a G- or PG-rated movie before 8 p.m.

Thomas said that the beverage offerings would include four types of draft beers and a selection of craft beers, all of which would be poured from the bottle into a plastic cup. They would also look for regional beers in the area to add to the options. Wine and frozen margaritas will also be offered.

Goodrich took the concept from their Hamilton 16 IMAX theater in Indiana, where it has been successful, said Thomas.

All trustees except West voted in favor of the new liquor license classification for the theater.

“I just have some concerns,” West said. “I just know that if I were a 21-year-old with an 18-year-old girlfriend, I'd be giving her a drink.” He asked how the theater staff would notice any underage drinkers.

Thomas said theater attendees would only be allowed to purchase one drink at a time and they ID each time. Theaters would also be patrolled more often, Thomas said.

West questioned how employees could see the audience in the dark theater and Thomas said that the screens “illuminate the crowd very well” looking from the front out towards the audience.

With the addition of alcohol there will be some new menu items, Thomas said, like pizza and chicken fingers, although a kitchen is not part of the renovation plans.

Thomas estimated that the entire renovation and construction will take about eight months.

“We’re very thrilled to see you guys investing in our community,” said McCarthy-Lange. “You guys have always given back so much to the community.”