Reopening Night: AMC Port Chester Greenlit, Regal New Roc Dark

PORT CHESTER, NY — The AMC Port Chester 13 is among the 99 percent of AMC movie theaters across the country that have reopened, but the experience of catching a show will be a little different than we are accustomed to. For one, the Port Chester megaplex is currently only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. AMC management says, however, plans are in the works to expand operations to seven days per week in time for upcoming school spring breaks.

After buying tickets for the family (pre-purchasing tickets and selecting seats in advance is preferred), moviegoers will notice a few important reminders that things aren’t entirely back to normal yet. Those who want to buy popcorn and soda are required to either use a credit card, debit card or gift card as payment in order to keep concession workers from handling both cash and food. Social distancing is evident in lines, the lobby and the auditoriums where seats are automatically blocked before being assigned to keep audience members from getting too close for comfort.

Staff and moviegoers are required to wear masks at all times - though audience members are allowed to remove coverings when eating or drinking. Less obvious signs of the times include a rigorous sanitation schedule, pre-shift employee health checks and an upgraded air filtration system with MERV-13 air filters.

The reopening of the AMC Port Chester in February is something of a special victory considering that in November of last year, Port Chester was among the first communities in New York to face renewed restrictions on indoor dining in response to spiking COVID-19 infection rates in the village. The so-called orange zone designation put a temporary end to tentative steps in the direction of reopening public spaces.

“It was exactly one year ago that we closed all AMC locations in the United States," AMC CEO Adam Aron said in a statement this week. “It gives me immense joy to say that by the end of next week we expect that 99 percent of our U.S. locations will have reopened. As we have done at all of locations around the country, AMC is reopening and operating with the highest devotion to the health and safety of our guests and associates through our AMC Safe & Clean policies and protocols, which were developed in consultation with Clorox and with current and former faculty at the prestigious Harvard University School of Public Health.”

Meanwhile, screens at the Regal New Roc cineplex in New Rochelle remain dark. The Knoxville, Tennessee-based company couldn’t immediately say when its theaters will reopen. Regal confirmed that company Health Director Dr. David Goldsmith is leading the efforts to bring movie fans back to theaters. Plans call for employing a “Cinema Safe” initiate with many of the same coronavirus precautions in place at the AMC 13 in Port Chester.

“Regal continues to work closely with the relevant authorities and safety measures will be constantly monitored and adjusted according to the requirements,” Regal said in a statement. “We have also reviewed our plans with an infectious diseases expert, who stated that Regal Theatres' reopening plan is consistent with the safety practices recommended by the Centers for Disease Control for operating public event spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic."