CHANDLER, AZ — Flix Brewhouse has made its closure in downtown Chandler permanent. Though, another movie theater already has plans to open in its place.
"We’d like to thank the people of Chandler for the support during our brief time there and we wish the management of Look (Cinemas) much success as they plan the reopening of a great cinema dining venue," said Matthew Baizer, chief operating officer for Texas-based Flix Brewhouse, in a statement on Wednesday to ABC15.
The dine-in movie theater opened in 2018 at Overstreet in Chandler, near Chandler Boulevard and Arizona Avenue, and featured a microbrewery, a large kitchen, and a number of theater auditoriums.
Like most movie theaters and other businesses, Flix Brewhouse closed for the majority of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened briefly last fall as cases leveled and restrictions were eased, but closed again weeks later, citing "ongoing issues related to Covid-19, government regulations, and the lack of compelling film content."
Shortly after, Flix Brewhouse closed all of its theaters nationally, many of which remain closed. At least one theater in Madison, Wisconsin reopened in recent weeks and another in El Paso, Texas was preparing to reopen, according to local media reports.
Look Cinemas, a small chain of dine-in movie theaters primarily in California, and one location in Texas, is set to take over the space in Chandler, marking its first location in the greater Phoenix market.
Details on when Look Cinemas intends to open have not been announced.
The PR firm that represents Look Cinemas acknowledged the Chandler location on Wednesday evening, but no additional information was immediately available.
"LOOK is a dine-in cinema from the team who created it. Expect uninterrupted movies, great food and cocktails in an immersive environment," reads a page on the theater's website. "Order a charcuterie board, sushi, or a deluxe shake piled high with treats."
According to an online menu, the theater will have classic movie theater snacks, such as popcorn, candy, and soda, but will also have more substantial options, such as charcuterie boards, garlic bread, chips and dip, as well as sushi rolls, sandwiches and wraps, salads, wings, pizza, and loaded mac and cheese.
For those with a sweet tooth, the menu also listed some traditional shakes, as well as a lineup of "deluxe shakes," including peach cobbler, Nutter Butter, and Oreo. At this point, it is not known what items, if any, will be part of the Chandler location's menu.
It is the latest change to a movie theater in the Valley. Quite a few movie theaters in the Valley have either closed or rebranded during the pandemic.
Studio Movie Grill permanently shuttered its theater at Sonora Village in Scottsdale. Florida-based Touchstar Cinemasplans to open there, though an opening date has not been announced.
Alamo Drafthouse rebranded its theaters in Chandler, Gilbert, and Tempe to Majestic Theaters after the local franchise owners filed for bankruptcy, citing the pandemic, and eventually reached an agreement with Alamo corporate to part ways.
And Harkins announced that it is closing its North Valley 16 Theater near 32nd Street and Bell Road by the end of the year, citing the economic costs to renovate that theater. Harkins teased plans to open a new theater in the area, but details have not been announced.
