Star Cinema Grill's Marquee to Light up Arlington Town Square

Star Cinema Grill will premier its first Illinois theater/restaurant in Arlington Heights come this spring, hoping to give the public a distinct movie experience.

Village trustees approved the Texas company’s request for a special use permit to turn the old Arlington Theaters into a full service restaurant and movie theater. Trustee John Scaletta recused himself from the discussion and the vote because he operated the former theater, which closed last summer.

“There has obviously been a great deal of public sentiment about restoring that space with an operational theater and we are very pleased you are here with your company,” Village President Arlene Mulder said.

Star Cinema Grill president Omar Khan said the company is gutting the theater to create a new venue.

“We are adding a full kitchen and a full bar,” he said. “We are converting all the projectors to digital. We are basically gutting the theater and revamping the entire venue. The only thing we will use is the existing wall.”

The new theater will have 707 seats and six auditoriums. Each auditorium will have stadium seating with tables, Khan said. There will be a full commercial grade kitchen, a state of the art sound system and digital projectors, he said.

Trustee Joseph Farwell asked Khan to explain what the theater will be like.

The Arlington Heights location will be like the company’s other locations, in Texas, with a box office inside and outside and a restaurant/lounge inside. Customers can either order appetizers or entrees and eat in the restaurant or order then eat their meal while watching a movie.

Each table has a paging system, menus and order cards, Khan said. Customers write their order, page their waiter or waitress and the meal is brought into the theater.  Employees wear black clothing so they do not disturb anyone in the theater, he said.

There is also a concession stand and customers don’t have to buy food or drinks to watch a movie. But, customers must purchase a movie ticket to eat at the restaurant, Khan said.

The price point is $9 to $10 per person for a movie and the menu items and drinks are additional.

“We consider ourselves a movie theater….we require everyone buy a movie ticket,” he said.

The Texas theaters/restaurants have performed very well, Khan said. Two more locations will be opening in Houston. The Arlington Heights theater will be the company’s first in Illinois. Star Cinema Grill will be the ninth restaurant in Arlington Town Square but Khan does not feel it will take business away from other restaurants. He feels the theater will draw more people to the square.

Another question trustees had: when will Star Cinema Grill open.

Khan said he is ready to get his building permits and hopes to start construction soon.

“We are shooting for mid-May or late-May,” he said. “It will be a challenge for us and we will have to work hard, but we are prepared to do it.”