Cake, ice cream and a movie: How children's birthday parties are helping some suburban theaters fill the seats

By Lisa Smith Daily Herald Staff Writer Monday, January 26, 2004 Although movie attendance nationwide fell 4 percent in 2003, some suburban movie theaters have found a way to fill seats. They're thinking young. But not PG-13, "Torque," teenage young. More like "Peter Pan," PG, under-12 young. They're hosting children's birthday parties in a private room at the theater followed by kid-friendly movie showings. Classic Cinemas' Charlestowne 18 in St. Charles reported an 18 percent increase in movie attendance last year, which company officials attribute, in part, to the increasing popularity of children's birthday parties. The theater hosted a record 120 parties in November in its two private rooms, where children gather for an hour or so to eat cake and open presents before filing into the theater to watch a movie with other patrons. "The family audience has come out and supported this theater, especially for birthday parties," said Chris Johnson, vice president of Downers Grove-based Tivoli Enterprises Inc., which operates Classic Cinemas' Charlestowne 18. Across the Chicago suburbs, eight of 22 modern multiplex theaters have private party rooms. Although many are successful, Charlestowne 18 is by far the busiest. The success of theater party rooms often depends on what movies are showing. Yorktown 17 theater in Lombard has hosted up to 30 parties a month in its two-section party room during times when kid-friendly movies, such as those in the "Harry Potter" series, are playing, theater manager Erica Hieden said. But nationwide, the two biggest movie theater chains have seen mixed results overall with their party rooms. Kansas City, Mo.-based AMC Entertainment Inc. -which operates Yorktown 17, Cantera 30 in Warrenville, Randhurst 16 in Mount Prospect and the South Barrington 30 - has not marketed the party rooms aggressively since the late 1990s, spokesman Rick King said. "We've found the party room concept was not very attractive in the sense that it hasn't generated enough interest to support it as a year-round business model," King said. Most of AMC's private rooms are labeled "multipurpose rooms" and are used more often for employee training and development than children's parties, King said. The nation's largest motion picture exhibitor, Knoxville, Tenn.-based Regal Entertainment Group, also began creating private party rooms in the late 1990s. The company owns theaters in Lincolnshire, Lake Zurich, Round Lake Beach and Crystal Lake. Each of those four theaters operates a party room, but the one at the Lake Zurich 12 is closed temporarily while the theater is being remodeled. Regal spokesman Dick Westerling said the company tries to incorporate a party room into each new theater when space is available, but he said the concept generates only a "nominal" increase in attendance and revenue. "What we do find is when we dedicate the space and market it locally, they are very successful," Westerling said. Of Regal's 555 theaters across the country, only about 30 contain party rooms, he said. Local management teams at each theater determine how to market the space. When Tivoli Enterprises took over Charlestowne 18 three years ago from Regal, the company turned the theater's main lobby cafe into a glass-walled party room and renovated the existing party room - which Johnson described as a dark, closed-off space - into a second, smaller party room. Since opening in September 2001, the party rooms have grown more popular as word has spread. Wendy Williams inquired about holding her daughter's 7th birthday party at Charlestowne 18 after seeing a child's birthday party there while going to see a movie with her family. She called the theater office the next day and booked the smaller party room after hearing the rates. "My daughter loved it and I did too," Williams said. "I thought it was affordable for what they offered." Parties at Charlestowne 18 cost $8.50 per person - which includes movie admission, drink, popcorn and candy - plus room rental. A party with 10 guests, for example, would cost $115 to $125, depending on what room was rented. The birthday child is free with a party of 10 or more guests. Pricing varies from theater to theater. Even though other movie theaters are closer to the Williams' home in Hanover Park, Williams said she was so impressed with the party and the theater itself that the family plans to return to the theater for future movies and future parties for Amber and her brother, 9-year-old Justin. Johnson said the party room helps Charlestowne 18 promote a family-centered, kid-friendly atmosphere. He plans to add a party room to every theater the company buys. There are also party rooms at the company's Cinema 12 in Carpentersville and Elk Grove Village theater; two rooms will open soon at the York theater in Elmhurst, and one room will be added to the Fox Lake theater, which also is gaining four movie screens. "It just works out nicely," Johnson said, "because then people sort of become fans of the theater and continue to come after that." Reproduced with permission from the Daily Herald