Owners make big upgrades to Sunrise, Davie theaters

Two local movie theaters have made big upgrades just in time for the summer blockbuster season.

Davie’s Paragon Ridge 8 is undergoing a $3 million makeover. Work has been completed on installing leather reclining seats with footrests, as well as an HD digital projection system with 3D capability and an online reserve seating system.

By the end of the year, the retrofitting will also include new carpeting, bathrooms and lobby, an expanded concessions menu, and the opening of the My Pi Pizza and Craft Beer restaurant.

Seating has been reduced from 100 to 70 seats, but Paragon CEO Mike Whalen said ticket prices will not be increased in the near future.

“When a lot of theaters got built, they had too many seats,” Whalen said. “So even if I lose half the seats in an auditorium, the extras weren’t being used.”

General manager Jonathan Brody, who started five years ago at the theater, said the changes are profound.

“They basically came in and took a rundown place and converted it,” he said. “In the past, I used to hear more negative than positive. Now it’s a complete flip.”

Demetri Martinez has been a regular at the Ridge for 19 years. She was surprised at the changes when she came to see “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”

“We knew work was being done but didn’t know the seats would be done,” she said. “It was awesome. They improved the experience100 percent.”

A similar transformation was done at the AMC Sunrise 8. There are now new seats with footrests, online ticketing with reserve seat- ing, an upgraded sound system, a renovated and expanded concession area, a bar area and more.

The theater reopened early May after closing February.

“The feedback at locations where we do these renovations is tremendous,” said Ryan Noonan, director of corporate communications for AMC. “… It’s a trend of delivering the best guest experience possible.”

Nicholas Mayberry has been going to this theater for 20 years and recently saw “Poltergeist” there.

“It’s been a long time since that theater has looked that good,” he said. “The place has a lot of fond memories for me. Going there as a kid with my family and now coming back with my wife is something that’s kind of special.” in in

Scott Fishman can be reached at smfishman@tribune.com.