With B.C. movie theatres closed, Rio indie cinema says it will reopen as a sports bar

[Frank Cox]

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/busi...ill-reopen-as/

One of Vancouver’s most prominent independent movie houses is rebranding
itself as a sports bar in an attempted workaround of the province’s
COVID-19 health orders.

Rio Theatre owner Corinne Lea says as of Saturday the cinema will pivot to
operating as a bar that projects sporting events on the big screen.

It’s part of a move that would comply with British Columbia’s guidelines
that say restaurants and bars are fine to stay open, but movie theatres
aren’t.

“We’re trying to point out how these rules don’t make any sense,” Ms. Lea
said on Wednesday.

“But at the same time, there’s nothing we can do … except try to figure
out how we can keep the doors open.”

The province’s cinemas were forced to close in November and won’t be
allowed to reopen until at least early next month.

Ms. Lea said she hasn’t heard from health authorities, but her goal is to
“work within the rules” and get her business back on its feet in the
sporting world.

“We’re all having to pivot and become jocks,” she said.

“All my film geek programmers were trying to Google the NHL and understand
what sports are playing when.”

Vancouver Coastal Health declined to comment and representatives for the
province did not immediately respond to questions.

Operators of the Rio have been frequent critics of Provincial Health
Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry’s guidelines for local businesses, which Ms. Lea
said have been “increasingly frustrating” because of their
inconsistencies.

For instance, gyms and bowling alleys are allowed to stay open with
certain restrictions, while cinemas weren’t granted the same exceptions.

Over the Christmas holiday, the Rio used its theatre marquee to question
the province’s approach to safety, pointing out that while theatres were
closed, malls were still allowed to operate.

The latest marquee update on Tuesday took a more succinct approach: “Screw
the arts. We’re a sports bar now.”

The Rio isn’t the first Vancouver movie house to experiment with a
different business model. Last month, the city’s Hollywood Theatre
reopened as a bar, serving cocktails and snacks, but not showing films.

Other indie theatres across the country have taken less bold routes to
survival after being forced to close under their local health guidelines.

Some continued to operate concession stands or sell alcohol, while the
owners of Ottawa’s ByTowne Cinema chose to permanently close in December
rather than face an uncertain future.

[Jim Cassedy]

I wish they'd do that in California, because if they don't re-open cinemas here anytime soon
so I can get back to work, I'm going to have to start doing some serious drinking.

[Leo Enticknap]

I thought California's orders were pretty insane and inconsistent, but allowing bars to open but not movie theaters tops even ours.

[Randy Stankey]

I think that, regardless of the outcome of this pandemic, the wise movie theater owner would consider ways to expand his business or change the focus of his business away from the usual Hollywood fare.

Pandemic or not, we are seeing a fundamental change in the way people consume entertainment. The old ways of presenting shows no longer satisfy today's audiences. People just don't care about movies the way they did before.

Take the example of the Ringling Brothers circus. They went out of business in 2017. The main reasons were because of increasing operating costs and declining attendance. Ticket prices necessary for the owners to turn a profit climbed above the public's willingness to pay. With tickets costing between $40 and $60, it just wasn't economically feasible to keep the circus running.

When I was a kid, it was a big event when the circus came to town. It was the highlight of the season!
Nowadays, nobody gives a flying frog leap about the circus. What was once a cultural icon is, now, all but forgotten. People just don't care anymore. The circus withered and died.

The same thing is happening to the movie industry. Operating costs are increasing. People just don't care. Movies will, eventually, go the way of the circus.

If movie theaters want to stay in business, they are going to have to do something similar to what Rio Theaters is doing. They are going to have to expand their business, change the products or services they offer and, as the article says, "pivot" to a different kind of operation.