PHOTOS: A look inside Gwinnett's newest dine-in theater
UPDATE: Ovation Cinema Grill announced on Facebook that it will officially open its doors at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, with shows starting at 6 p.m.
ORIGINAL STORY: Since its imminent arrival was announced, the Ovation Cinema Grill — Gwinnett County's newest dine-in, full-bar movie theater — has created quite a bit of excitement.
The theater at 1210 Scenic Highway in Lawrenceville opened for "preview days" last week (more on that below), and it will hold an official grand opening Thursday. But what can moviegoers expect?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution got a behind-the-scenes tour Monday with general manager Zack Fordham, who called the venue "a restaurant with a movie problem."
A visual sneak peek (and more juicy tidbits) are below.
The view from outside the theater, which is in the same shopping center as Gander Mountain, Hobby Lobby and Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q, not far from the Shoppes at Webb Gin.
Plenty of neon welcomes guests to the lobby area.
The theater's lounge area, complete with TVs and a toasty fireplace. (Patio furniture to come).
Guests are welcome to enjoy food and drinks before their show starts (or without plans to see a movie at all). The bar will offer cocktails and wine, in addition to eight beers on tap (six of which are local, Fordham said).
One of the venue's smaller theaters, which has "oversized luxury" seats to accommodate 77 guests.
Moviegoers can press a button at their seat to summon a waiter, who will take orders with a tablet. The goal, Fordham said, is for all orders to be delivered within 10 minutes.
Ovation's "Big D" theater has 256 seats and "boasts a screen more than 70 feet wide and three stories tall."
Fordham talks to a reporter before demonstrating the theater's fully reclining seats.
Even with a light crowd on Monday afternoon, Ovation's full kitchen was busy.
Preview days at Ovation Cinema Grill — which feature $3 tickets — continue Monday night and Tuesday. They will feature the following movies before the theater begins offering new releases on Thursday:
- "Legend of Tarzan"
- "The Girl on the Train"
- "Storks"
- "Sully"
- "Suicide Squad"
- "Jason Bourne"
- "The Secret Life of Pets"
About the Author
Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
