The Savoy 16 movie theater will be rising from the ashes.
According to its website, Phoenix Theatres Entertainment has purchased Savoy 16 and will reopen the complex under its new management “soon.”
The posting offered no timetable but said the new management will offer “cinemasafe protocols, advance ticketing, new food and beverage items, loyalty program, gift cards, private rentals, premier recliner auditorium and more.”
The theater has been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March. The previous owner, Goodrich Quality Theaters, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February. There was no indication whether the new owner will offer the free weekend morning movies that were a staple at Savoy 16.
Phoenix owns 14 theaters, mostly in the eastern half of the country, according to its website. Four of its theaters are currently open, two will be “reopening soon” — including Savoy — and eight others are “temporarily closed.”
It appears that Phoenix, a company based in Knoxville, Tenn., is going on a theater buying spree. Just days ago it announced it will buy one in Columbus, Ohio – the closest of its theaters to C-U.
According to the Columbus Underground website, “after just one day of mourning the loss of the AMC Lennox Town Center 24 movie theater, local film fans can now rejoice. The building will be quickly reborn as a Phoenix Theatre location.”
And as for the company’s name, it’s not ironic at all – it’s an intentional strategy.
“We named our company Phoenix, based on the mythical bird rising from the ashes, because we started the company right as many chains were starting to go through bankruptcy,” said firm founder and CEO Phil Zacheretti in a 2017 interview with BoxOfficePro.com
Phoenix’s health and safety requirements — which include mandatory masking — are available here.
There’s no word on whether Phoenix will honor GQT gift cards or the loyalty program. Stay tuned.
It’s been a difficult year for movie lovers. The iconic Art Theatre in downtown Champaign, closed since Oct. 31, 2019, shows no signs of a comeback, as the theater owner sold its assets in fall 2020.