LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Rheem Theatre waiting for 'orange tier' designation to reopen


Rheem Theatre's message to the town. Photo Vera Kochan

Despite the good news that Contra Costa County has moved into the red tier allowing movie theaters to reopen at 25% capacity or 100 people, Cinema West (owner of the Rheem Theatre) has decided to wait until a 50% capacity is sanctioned. According to Executive Director James Howard, a 25% capacity "still won't work for our smaller auditoriums. Plus, by that time the movie selections will also have improved enough to entice people back to movie theaters."

Many studios have decided to push back the release of their anticipated blockbusters to November, December and into 2021. To make matters even more difficult, local movie houses are currently banned from selling concessions, which typically accounts for higher revenues to the theater than does their share of ticket sales.