Seattle's Cinerama Closes For Renovations, Lays Off Staff

SEATTLE, WA — Seattle's iconic Cinerama movie theater will close for several months to complete a series of planned renovation projects, its owners announced Tuesday.

The theater, famous for its chocolate popcorn, will undergo a complete overhaul of its kitchen during the closure, allowing for an expanded menu to be unveiled later this year. Other planned work includes replacing carpet throughout the building and repairing other wear and tear.

According to The Stranger, the renovation plans have resulted in layoffs for much of the theater's staff, who were not notified until a company meeting Tuesday morning.

Cinerama's owner, Vulcan Inc., shared a brief statement with Patch Tuesday afternoon:

"Regarding staff, I can share we retained the necessary staff to complete the renovation. We were unable to retain concession staff, since we will be closed and unable to give staff hours over the next several months."

The Belltown landmark first opened to moviegoers in 1963, one year after the World's Fair, boasting state-of-the-art technology for its time. After Cinerama fell into disrepair, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen bought the theater in the late 1990s and oversaw several high-tech upgrades in the years following. Allen died in 2018, but his company, Vulcan, continues to own and operate the theater.

A company spokesperson did not release a timeline for how long the latest project would take to complete but said it would differ from the Cinerama's last major renovation in 2014. Vulcan said it plans to reopen the theater "later this year, ahead of the year's biggest films." A post on the theater's website said updates on the project would be posted regularly on social media.