THE LOOP — The new, and only, big movie theater in the Loop serves a lot more than popcorn.
The AMC cinema chain gave DNAinfo Chicago a tour of its new 11-screen theater before it opens Thursday evening at Block 37. A so-called "dine-in" theater, the cinema at 108 N. State St. serves guests from an extensive menu and also includes a full bar you can drink at without seeing a film.
It's AMC's first full-service dine-in Chicago theater, which is also the Loop's first cineplex in decades. Despite concerns about servers (and smelly foods such as Brussels sprouts) distracting movie viewers, AMC area director Dan Glennon said it's an experience that needs to be seen to be believed. As is the case with traditional theaters, nearly all the food is typically ordered by the time movie trailers end, he said.
"A lot of our guests who haven't experienced it have these preconceived notions," Glennon said. "They see it, and the lightbulb clicks."
The menu ranges from $8 snacks, including sushi rolls, milkshakes and boneless wings to $12 burgers and salads, and $16 dinner baskets. Guests also can order drinks such as sangria ($9.49), margaritas ($9.49-$11.99), beer and wine from their seat.
From l.: s'mores shake ($8), Royal Burger ($12), quinoa and Cobb salads ($12), and crab and avocado sushi ($8) as shown in the theater's kitchen. [DNAinfo/David Matthews]
The theater's 11 auditoriums arrange seats in pairs and only fit 40, allowing some space between guests and their food. Like booking a flight, guests reserve their seats online or by picking them on a touchscreen when buying their tickets at the cinema. The theater's power recliners include swivel tables and — also like a flight — allow guests to call a server by pushing a button. The food arrives in 12-15 minutes "at most," Glennon said.
Like other cinemas, AMC's new Block 37 theater has a full bar, called MacGuffin's. It seats about 80 and offers views of State Street and other spots in the Loop. No ticket purchase is necessary to drink at the bar. It's also part of the Loop's only big movie theater: the Gene Siskel Film Center opened in 2001 at 164 N. State St., but is a nonprofit that focuses more on independent and foreign films instead of blockbusters.
"This is a really special location for us," Glennon said. "You see this building and the views, and it all makes sense."
The theater on the fourth floor of Block 37 opens Thursday evening, just in time for "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens." Toy lightsabers will be allowed, but not face paint, masks and items that resemble weapons, including blasters.
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