Here is an interesting news story regarding Warren Theaters. The company's theaters in Wichita, KS are going to have digital projection equipment installed. This also means that it is very likely the new 20-plex under construction in Moore will also feature digital cinema.

Kansas.com | 07/12/2007 | Warren goes to digital projection (http://www.kansas.com/101/story/120250.html)


Warren goes to digital projection
Bill Warren hopes to have the nearly $5 million project done by the end of the year.
BY BILL WILSON
The Wichita Eagle

Bill Warren's Wichita theaters are going digital.

Warren plans to award a multimillion-dollar contract in 60 days to install digital projection in all of his local theaters that show first-run films.

At $100,000 per screen and 47 screens, the project cost will approach $5 million, Warren said.

Warren is on the leading edge of a nationwide conversion to digital projection, said Patrick Corcoran, director of media and research for the National Association of Theater Owners.

The changeover isn't a response to growing competition, Warren said, despite a new IMAX complex coming in Maize.

"We have a commitment to put on the best movies possible in an old-style theater setting," he said. "This is just an upgrade to be part of that."

Currently, five digital projection providers are demonstrating products at the Warren East location, 11611 E. 13th St.

"We're taking a look at all of them, trying to determine what's the best," Warren said. "I hope to have a contract in a couple of months and have this in place around the end of the year."

There are 3,300 digital projectors in American theaters, which total 38,600 screens, Corcoran said.

That number should rise to about 4,000 by the end of 2007 and will double in 2008 as large chains like Regal and AMC roll the projectors out system-wide.

"For the operator, the advantage is presentation," Corcoran said. "The first showing is going to look as good as the last showing, unlike film, which degrades."

Uploading films from a server also allows multiple screen presentations with one copy, unlike today, when each screen requires its own film copy.

Despite the advantages, there are still significant issues, Corcoran said.

"We don't know a lot about how long these projectors will last," he said.

"At $100,000, the cost is four to five times a new film projector, and we know how long film projectors last -- 30 to 40 years."

Plus, the film distribution industry is in flux, with both film prints and digital film copies being produced. Eventually, the end of film will save the distribution industry $1 billion a year, Corcoran said.

The bottom line is good news for the consumer: more vivid films at no extra ticket cost.

"You're going to get a degree of clarity equivalent to the film experience and a product that's beyond what you get on high-definition television," Corcoran said.

This newspaper article has a few little things that demand some clarification.

It is true that digital projection can provide very consistent levels of presentation quality. Image quality for a movie several weeks into its run can be as good as what is seen on opening night.

Film can and does degrade when it is not handled properly. When film is shown using high quality, properly maintained equipment and shown by a booth operator who knows and cares about what he is doing it is very possible for a film print to play weeks on end without showing dirt, scratches, fading and other problems.

Unfortunately, good projectionists are very rare. Good theater managers are rare as well. Many theaters falter by providing bad show quality and bad customer service, cutting corners and just doing things "good enough."

Film done right has the potential of delivering higher image quality than digital cinema can manage. That is especially true for large film formats like 70mm. The best looking movies are also photographed on film...not recorded to hard disc using glorified HDTV video cameras.

Digital cinema overcomes some of the problems with run of the mill multiplex theaters. It takes away the problems of dirt and scratches that occur with film done wrong.

The biggest plus about digital cinema is convenience. A friend of mine manages the Carmike 8 in Lawton. He can take one "virtual print" on hard disc and load it up on as many screens as he likes. He loaded Spiderman III on the data servers of all 8 screens for the midnight showings right before opening day. He has done similar things for Transformers, Harry Potter and more. With film, you need a print for each projector. Or you need to have an "interlock" system set up to feed one film print into 2 or more projectors (that's complicated to do and not for the faint of heart either). D-cinema systems can show other kinds of content besides regular movies. You can show live concerts and other video feeds. External video sources can be hooked up. You can even run a PowerPoint presentation through one of those systems.

Digital cinema doesn't eliminate the need for frequent routine maintenance. Projector lamps must still be changed on a periodic basis. The sound systems have to be re-tuned and maintained. Blown speaker drivers must be replaced. The list goes on.

Companies like Carmike Cinemas (currently operating nearly 2000 d-cinema equipped screens and the currently the world leader on installations by a very wide margin) have service contracts where maintenance is done automatically. The d-cinema equipment is actually leased and the maintenance schedule comes as part of the entire agreement with AccessIT and Christie Projection.

I imagine Warren Theaters may have a similar deal put together. It's certainly a good idea for them to audition a number of different systems. They're likely evaluating Dolby Digital Cinema, the AccessIT package used by Carmike, Sony's new 4K SXRD d-cinema system and more.

Considering some of the screens at the new Warren 20 in Moore may be as big as 80' wide I really hope they have projection systems installed that can handle the job. Standard 35mm projectors do a poor job of lighting giant screens. 70mm film formats are needed for that kind of work. Christie has a special dual lamp digital projector made for giant screens. I hope Warren tests it very objectively.

Film can and does degrade when it is not handled properly. When film is shown using high quality, properly maintained equipment and shown by a booth operator who knows and cares about what he is doing it is very possible for a film print to play weeks on end without showing dirt, scratches, fading and other problems.

Unfortunately, good projectionists are very rare. Good theater managers are rare as well. Many theaters falter by providing bad show quality and bad customer service, cutting corners and just doing things "good enough."


I'd just like to note that a lot of that has to do with the corporate offices of chains and such not allocating enough payroll to accommodate for the proper care of the projection booth. Running 16 projectors (including having to check and patrol the auditoriums within 40 minutes of the show starting) alone leaves very little time to properly clean, lubricate, and thread a projector without giving yourself heatstroke (I'm serious; I got seriously dizzy one time).

Shortcuts are almost a must for projectionists to get their movies started on time. At least in my experience.

Anybody Have Any Idea When This Place Is Going To Open?

My guess is February or March of 2008. So much goes into a Warren Theaters location above what it takes to build any standard movie theater. Chances are pretty slim for the movie theater to open before the end of 2007, at least not without things being rushed and corners being cut. Many other movie theater chains are into making corner cutting compromises. Warren is one of the few who do not compromise. This should be a really great movie theater. We just have to be patient and wait for the crews to complete it.

While driving by the theater today, I noticed some brickwork going up along the back of the building. It appears that they may be using several colors of brick to make "bands" of color at the bottom.

when i drove by this morning i have to say the place is starting to look impressive.

I am really looking forward to the opening of the Warren Theater. It's only a couple of miles north of the Norman city limits, and I suspect I'm not the only Norman resident who will welcome an alternative to the poorly managed and poorly maintained local complex (Hollywood Spotlight). I have had some e-mail correspondence with the Warren office in Wichita, and it is clear to me that everything about their operation will be done with care.

anyone have any updated pics? I probably won't be down that way until the OU football season starts.

I drove by today and they have quite a bit of progress. Most of the walls are up, and it looked like they were working on completing the front entrance part when I went by. I noticed a steel frame erected that looks like it's going to cover the entrance part. Traffic was horrible so sorry I didn't get to catch anything more!

What's the latest news on the theater?

I noticed an ad in a new phone book that listed the theatre as opening "early 2008." It also listed a phone number, but I didn't call it.

they have all the brick work done when i drove by last night, the entrance part im guessing is still bare with the structure pieces in placed.

Drove by this afternoon and snapped a couple of pics.

http://members.cox.net/srmgmt/CIMG0407.JPG

http://members.cox.net/srmgmt/CIMG0408.JPG

According to an article I read the other day, they're temporarily slated to open in February, but that will probably get pushed back to March.

The Warren Theatres website has been updated with some more information on the construction and available jobs. It also says they'll update again soon with some answers for some FAQs and more picture and stuff.

Warren Theaters posted an aerial photo of the Moore 20 construction project on their web site.

http://aycu09.webshots.com/image/39248/2001424771657806302_rs.jpg

http://aycu32.webshots.com/image/37191/2002323394689063914_rs.jpg

Warren Theatres Website (http://www.warrentheatres.com/index.asp)

Did anyone notice the new sign out by the frontage road? Really classy design with some bright letters on it. Really stands out.
I notice they have been turning on some of the neon around the building at night. I think when it is all finished it is really going to be a sight to see.

The backlit glass front was lit last night, it looked pretty cool.

Would really like to see some of the progress on the inside as well.

Man this is going to be a NICE theater. Me and the wife are looking forward to a night away from the kids on the balcony.

Looks like because of budget reasons its going to only be 14 theatres, rather than 20. And who knows what else might have been cutback for money?

Harkins Theatres might just remain the nicest theatre in town...

Looks like because of budget reasons its going to only be 14 theatres, rather than 20. And who knows what else might have been cutback for money?

Harkins Theatres might just remain the nicest theatre in town...

This has been common knowledge for about 6 months. From what info was release, the only cutbacks were the number of theaters and the size of the lobby. It was supposed to be the size of a football field but they scaled it back a bit.

It may be smaller than originally planned, but Warren is known for high end theaters and I don't think they will be skimping on this one. I like Harkins (especially the daycare inside!), but I think once Warren opens I will be seeing most of my movies there. I only live 5 minutes away from the Warren Theater so it will be hard to justify the 20 minute drive to Harkins plus dealing with Bricktown parking.

They cut back the number of theaters so they wouldn't have to skimp on the details.

i am jsut excited that we have entertainment in moore for the family.. just in one year we went from nothing to.. andy alligator park, heyday family fun, justforfunkidz, and now the new theater...

Looks like because of budget reasons its going to only be 14 theatres, rather than 20. And who knows what else might have been cutback for money?

Harkins Theatres might just remain the nicest theatre in town...

um, the Warren could be cut back to 4 theaters and it would still be the nicest one in town. This is the same thing he did in Wichita for his East side location. He cut back to 12, I believe, for opening then when it was obvious things were going well he added like 4 more a year later as a second wing with it's own lobby and concession stands and whatnot......

And, if he saved money by dropping 6 theaters then it was spent elsewhere on the facility. My guess would be the decision to go digital may have been the reason..... But he doesn't skimp and it will be the nicest theater in town. I stand by that opinion.

The main reason he cut down the number of screens was because construction costs skyrocketed soon after he announced he was going to build the theater. But Trust me Bill Warren goes above and beyond to make his theaters the best, he will make no shortcuts.

that is what I heard too soonerkev.
I haven't been to any of Warren's theaters up in Wichita but my in-laws took a trip up there and happened to go to one and one of my buddies did as well. Said it's amazing on the inside - I can't wait for them to open it up ... so we can see inside!! Biggest problem I see - will HollyWeird produce any good flicks for us!!

Employees only get ten minute breaks...

Employees only get ten minute breaks...

Good.

Maybe now my popcorn will be fresh!


*CRACKS WHIP*

More like it'll be spit in.

Wouldn't blame 'em.

Employees only get ten minute breaks...

Over how long a shift?

More like it'll be spit in.

Wouldn't blame 'em.

because they have a job they hate????? If you hate your job, get a different one. It's no one else's fault but your own.

It's hard to get another job, when there aren't many jobs out there to be had.

Hard to imagine a much lower unemployment rate.

Unemployement rate at of Dec 07:
Cleveland County: 3.6%
Oklahoma County: 4.4%

Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (http://www.oesc.state.ok.us/lmi/LAUS/2007/Dec/counties.htm)

When you lose your job and can't find another come, I don't want to hear you crying.

I don't understand why someone would work somewhere they hate.

Even if they hate their job and their employer I don't understand why they would spit in some innocent person's popcorn.

I don't understand why other people would defend such behavior.

Even if they hate their job and their employer I don't understand why they would spit in some innocent person's popcorn.

I doubt they do it because they hate their job. Teens pull that stuff all the time as pranks. A guy we go to church with was a manager at Little Caesars for awhile, and he told me about how the teen workers, prior to him coming there, had peed in the tomato sauce as a prank. No wonder why that pizza sauce was so tangy! :)

I knew there was some reason I had become less enthusiastic about going out to eat as I age. Popcorn I fix at home has no spit in it. Home theater sounds pretty good.

It really is disturbing that so many people who handle food treat the customers with so much disdain. These reports about filthy conditions at differnt places and employees not washing their hands and so on are just so common now. Then you hear all these stories.

I don't know where the "10 minute break" thing came from, but I've been to the Wichita Warren Theatres many times, and I've never had spit in my popcorn and I've never had bad, apathetic service from someone that looked like they didn't want to be there. They have better service than any other theatre chain and they look the best in their little old fashioned tuxedos they wear.


And I only get 15 minute breaks... What's the big deal?

I only get 10 minute breaks and no lunch.

But I get paid quite a bit more than them to tolerate it too.

I don't know where the "10 minute break" thing came from, but I've been to the Wichita Warren Theatres many times, and I've never had spit in my popcorn and I've never had bad, apathetic service from someone that looked like they didn't want to be there. They have better service than any other theatre chain and they look the best in their little old fashioned tuxedos they wear.


And I only get 15 minute breaks... What's the big deal?

ditto..... if 10 minute breaks is your reason for thinking a job/employer is bad, then you have a life of disappointment ahead of you.....

Anyone know how close they are to opening? I drove by about a month ago and the outside looked almost complete. Anyone in the area willing to take and post a picture?

Anyone know how close they are to opening? I drove by about a month ago and the outside looked almost complete. Anyone in the area willing to take and post a picture?

If I'd have thought of it, I'd have done it 30 minutes ago when I was right there. :(

April 4th is the projected opening date.

Hard to imagine a much lower unemployment rate.

Unemployment rate at of Dec 07:
Cleveland County: 3.6%
Oklahoma County: 4.4%

Sure, the unemployment rate is low. But all those so-called economists do a lot to politicize various figures, only looking at the situation through rose colored glasses.

The unemployment rate counts only those people who are collecting unemployment benefits. It doesn't count people who have fallen out of the work force and are not receiving any benefits.

Economists and politicians both love to overlook the fact that all "jobs" are not the same. They don't pay the same. I yawn whenever I hear some blow-hard on TV campaigning about "jobs." They don't like to comment on many millions of Americans who are under-employed and offer any ideas how to foster growth of "good paying jobs."

Some minimum wage paying service industry job isn't going to do squat to support a city's property tax base. It isn't going to do much to keep our policemen and firemen paid. Low paying jobs don't help on supporting a public school system. They don't help on maintaining infrastructure.

All that stuff is nothing new. It's just like the comedy of how the government reports inflation figures. Conveniently, the inflation figure doesn't count the cost of fuel, food, clothing and a lot of other items regular people spend most of their paycheck to buy.

To get back closer to topic, anyone working in a movie theater is doing a largely thankless job.

The folks working in the box office, refreshment counter or walking the halls to clean up the place are all paid minimum wage. The employee turnover rate is high and the vast majority of theaters are typically stuck with hiring only high school aged kids for those jobs.

Theater managers and assistant managers aren't all that well paid either, usually the minimum federal standard for employees paid salary. The hours can be incredibly long. Very often many movie theater chains make managers send home as much of the minimum wage staff as possible and have managers doing that grunt work, along with the stacks upon stacks of paperwork and other garbage.

Anyone looking to make a career of working in movie theaters had better do it over being a die hard film fan. I can't think of any other logical reason to be in that business.

Heard today that Warren's interior is really impressive. Only 2nd hand knowledge from people who have been inside but they were impressed.

Sure, the unemployment rate is low. But all those so-called economists do a lot to politicize various figures, only looking at the situation through rose colored glasses.

The unemployment rate counts only those people who are collecting unemployment benefits. It doesn't count people who have fallen out of the work force and are not receiving any benefits.

Economists and politicians both love to overlook the fact that all "jobs" are not the same. They don't pay the same. I yawn whenever I hear some blow-hard on TV campaigning about "jobs." They don't like to comment on many millions of Americans who are under-employed and offer any ideas how to foster growth of "good paying jobs."

Some minimum wage paying service industry job isn't going to do squat to support a city's property tax base. It isn't going to do much to keep our policemen and firemen paid. Low paying jobs don't help on supporting a public school system. They don't help on maintaining infrastructure.

All that stuff is nothing new. It's just like the comedy of how the government reports inflation figures. Conveniently, the inflation figure doesn't count the cost of fuel, food, clothing and a lot of other items regular people spend most of their paycheck to buy.

To get back closer to topic, anyone working in a movie theater is doing a largely thankless job.

The folks working in the box office, refreshment counter or walking the halls to clean up the place are all paid minimum wage. The employee turnover rate is high and the vast majority of theaters are typically stuck with hiring only high school aged kids for those jobs.

Theater managers and assistant managers aren't all that well paid either, usually the minimum federal standard for employees paid salary. The hours can be incredibly long. Very often many movie theater chains make managers send home as much of the minimum wage staff as possible and have managers doing that grunt work, along with the stacks upon stacks of paperwork and other garbage.

Anyone looking to make a career of working in movie theaters had better do it over being a die hard film fan. I can't think of any other logical reason to be in that business.



THANK YOU!

Sure, the unemployment rate is low. But all those so-called economists do a lot to politicize various figures, only looking at the situation through rose colored glasses.

The unemployment rate counts only those people who are collecting unemployment benefits. It doesn't count people who have fallen out of the work force and are not receiving any benefits.

Economists and politicians both love to overlook the fact that all "jobs" are not the same. They don't pay the same. I yawn whenever I hear some blow-hard on TV campaigning about "jobs." They don't like to comment on many millions of Americans who are under-employed and offer any ideas how to foster growth of "good paying jobs."

Some minimum wage paying service industry job isn't going to do squat to support a city's property tax base. It isn't going to do much to keep our policemen and firemen paid. Low paying jobs don't help on supporting a public school system. They don't help on maintaining infrastructure.

All that stuff is nothing new. It's just like the comedy of how the government reports inflation figures. Conveniently, the inflation figure doesn't count the cost of fuel, food, clothing and a lot of other items regular people spend most of their paycheck to buy.

I conclude from your remarks that you are not arguing with the veracity or accuracy of the statistics but that you dislike the name of the statistic.

It is very true that there are rules about who can apply for and receive unemployment benefits and for the length of time the benefits can be paid.

It is not mandatory for people who are eligible to even apply for benefits but the fact that such persons are not counted in the number of people for whom taxes are contributed would be significant.

However, I think it is likely that a low number of people applying for unemployment benefits coupled with a high number of people for whom unemployment insurance is being paid is useful as an indicator of the relative job market.

It is true that the statistic does not in any way measure the relative values of jobs.

I disagree with the entire principle of "under employment." No one, under our system, is entitled to anything more than an opportunity. If someone feels he is undervalued, then he has choices. He can find another job or he can start his own business.



To get back closer to topic, anyone working in a movie theater is doing a largely thankless job.

The folks working in the box office, refreshment counter or walking the halls to clean up the place are all paid minimum wage. The employee turnover rate is high and the vast majority of theaters are typically stuck with hiring only high school aged kids for those jobs.

Theater managers and assistant managers aren't all that well paid either, usually the minimum federal standard for employees paid salary. The hours can be incredibly long. Very often many movie theater chains make managers send home as much of the minimum wage staff as possible and have managers doing that grunt work, along with the stacks upon stacks of paperwork and other garbage.

Anyone looking to make a career of working in movie theaters had better do it over being a die hard film fan. I can't think of any other logical reason to be in that business.

I don't see the point of your argument. This seems true to me about any number of industries. Roofing is really hard and it is dangerous and it is dirty and no one thanks you much for it either. Or try working in a nursing home or a hospital and emptying bed pans and changing soiled sheets. Or try farming for a living. Or try being a city worker or a city manager or even a city council member. You won't get much appreciation for those jobs.

All jobs that I know anything about have good and bad things about them. Some are physically demanding and some are emotionally demanding and some are both.

Anyone who works at any job should be accorded respect period.

I still don't understand why a job someone doesn't like or a job that entails doing things someone doesn't like or even a boss someone doesn't like gives anyone the right to spit in popcorn.

Truly I am surprised that there is any defense of spitting in people's popcorn.

I don't really understand the arguments here.

Should everyone in the movie theater business be paid $25/hr? How about a base salary of $50k/year for those people who take the tickets or run the refreshments?

I guess what I'm trying to understand is - it might not be the job I want but someone can fill that job and I'm certain they aren't wanting to work their full-time taking tickets or scooping popcorn or whatever ... but if you need a job, it's there.

But let's take this further - if that minimum wage job isn't min-wage anymore and instead of $7/hr you're paying $25/hr ... how much are you willing to pay for your movie ticket? Are you happy with the current prices? Would you pay double or triple for the tickets and also for what refreshments you want to consume (which we all know are already high)?

The point it - there's a lot of people working now period. No job is perfect - the grass is always greener on the other side (until you get to the other side!).



Sure, the unemployment rate is low. But all those so-called economists do a lot to politicize various figures, only looking at the situation through rose colored glasses.

The unemployment rate counts only those people who are collecting unemployment benefits. It doesn't count people who have fallen out of the work force and are not receiving any benefits.

Economists and politicians both love to overlook the fact that all "jobs" are not the same. They don't pay the same. I yawn whenever I hear some blow-hard on TV campaigning about "jobs." They don't like to comment on many millions of Americans who are under-employed and offer any ideas how to foster growth of "good paying jobs."

Some minimum wage paying service industry job isn't going to do squat to support a city's property tax base. It isn't going to do much to keep our policemen and firemen paid. Low paying jobs don't help on supporting a public school system. They don't help on maintaining infrastructure.

All that stuff is nothing new. It's just like the comedy of how the government reports inflation figures. Conveniently, the inflation figure doesn't count the cost of fuel, food, clothing and a lot of other items regular people spend most of their paycheck to buy.

To get back closer to topic, anyone working in a movie theater is doing a largely thankless job.

The folks working in the box office, refreshment counter or walking the halls to clean up the place are all paid minimum wage. The employee turnover rate is high and the vast majority of theaters are typically stuck with hiring only high school aged kids for those jobs.

Theater managers and assistant managers aren't all that well paid either, usually the minimum federal standard for employees paid salary. The hours can be incredibly long. Very often many movie theater chains make managers send home as much of the minimum wage staff as possible and have managers doing that grunt work, along with the stacks upon stacks of paperwork and other garbage.

Anyone looking to make a career of working in movie theaters had better do it over being a die hard film fan. I can't think of any other logical reason to be in that business.

anyone have an updated pic yet?

For all the philosophy being tossed about, there's a much simpler concept at hand - supply and demand. The kinds of jobs offered by a movie theater are inherently disposable, and thus affiliated with high rates of turnover. Bottom line: large supply of workers, relatively narrow demand --> low end of the wage scale.

As far as how unemployment is calculated, here (http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_faq.htm#Ques5) is a link to the US Department of Labor's description on what's included/not included.

For all the concern about how low-paying jobs don't help infrastructure or tax base, I can't help but detect an implicit suggestion that the government has the responsibility to create those jobs?

Beyond that, why doesn't it seem as though there's at least a modicum of responsibility on the part of the worker to make him or herself more marketable by increasing skills? If someone doesn't like that minimum wage job flipping burgers or spitting in my popcorn, why is there this implicit notion that their situation is someone else's fault? At some point, someone has to be willing to take a step out, improve their skills, and migrate up that employment ladder without the government kicking them in the posterior to do so.

I almost get the impression that some of the argument is to suggest that theater jobs are so bad I should be thankful if I get a tub of $6 popcorn that hasn't been spat in, which is patently ridiculous. When I think of the kinds of problems people in my mother's generation, and her mother's generation, lived through without the government sticking some sort of subsidy check in their pocket, but NEVER griped or complained about it (or spat in anyone's popcorn), it makes contemporary complaints about the government "not doing enough" seem ridiculously hollow.

If I've misinterpreted the point of the previous post, I'll offer apologies here right now.

-soonerdave

This is a little aside, but I know at the one in Wichita you can get beer and drinks in the balcony area. Any idea if they'll be able to do that here?

Supposedly the balcony area will be reserved for custom service, including "adult beverages." Higher $$ ticket to access the area, at least as I understood it from some time ago.

-sd

I knew there was some reason I had become less enthusiastic about going out to eat as I age. Popcorn I fix at home has no spit in it. Home theater sounds pretty good.

It really is disturbing that so many people who handle food treat the customers with so much disdain. These reports about filthy conditions at differnt places and employees not washing their hands and so on are just so common now. Then you hear all these stories.

In Cleveland county (which is where Warren Theatre is being built) you have to have a license to sell food. Doesn't matter if it's a restaurant, street vendor, movie theater, quick stop or the OU stadium. If you report a complaint about unsanitary food conditions to the Cleveland county health dept. (the one in Norman) they have to investigate. If the establishment repeatedly fails to comply then the health dept. will shut them down.

They would'nt shut down the entire Warren Theatre, just the concessions. But if Warren is as top notch as everyone says, I don't think we have to worry about this as Mr. Warren wouldn't tolerate it.

Just as an anicdote; I know some of the sanitarians at the Cleveland county health dept. One of the guys was doing a routine check at Chinese restaurant and found they had severely unsanitary conditions for cooking their food and made them put it in the trash while he watched them. When he left he drove to an adjacent parking lot and got pics of them digging that food out of the dumpster in order to sell it. He went back inside and sure enough, all the food they'd just gotten out of the dumpster was back in the kitchen being prepared for sale. He slapped a sticker on their front door and shut 'em down. They had to turn off the lights, lock the door and put up their closed sign. They were closed for a couple of weeks until they got all of their violations cleaned up.

Well, getting license sounds good, but its not as great as it seems.

A few years ago, some friends opened up a donut shop in Moore. They were told they had to get a food handler's license, which they expected, so they went to the health department...you know what they had to do?

Watch a 20 minute video and take a multiple choice test.

It was basically a joke.

Sadly, their donut shop got hit by a small tornado that blew threw Moore several years back (not the big one in '99, a smaller one) and their landlord was, shall we say, not exactly energetic about getting the place repaired, so they shut it down...

Point is that licensing sounds good on one hand, but don't be surprised if it doesn't mean as much in reality as you might expect.

And, over the years, I have heard *horrendous* stories about Chinese food places...the worst was when, supposedly, one such restaurant owner was arrested near the Greenbriar housing addition in SW Oklahoma City for stealing ducks from their pond and taking them to his restaurant. Supposedly was watched for some time before they caught him....was several years ago.

In a word, yuck. If you really want a shock, check out an episode of Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares" on BBC America or (sometimes) on FOX (on Sundays now). He basically goes into fix a dying restaurant, and the kitchens in some of these places - some of them supposely upscale - are hideous, with rotted, molded food being stored and served. Sometimes, I think the less I know, the better.

-sd

Yeah, the licenses aren't supposed to be that difficult to get, it's just so any old Joe can't just start selling food out of his garage. The main thing is, is that they do random inspections of all the food establishements in Cleveland county. Which I still don't understand why some places don't clean up their act and then get mad when they get shut down. If you know these people are gonna be coming around every so often, it shouldn't come as shock that you're gonna get dinged if you're not up to par.

SoonerDave - you're spot on with what you're saying. Agree w/ ya.

Here's some photos I shot driving around Warren today .. around 4pm 2/29/2008 ...

btw, the balcony - yes - I believe there are TWO (not sure but what I heard). Supposed to have some sort of very nice theater style seating in them and should be very nice. Just heard about it in the last few days.

Photos... hope this works!

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o183/pearlbluevtx/IMG_2964.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o183/pearlbluevtx/IMG_2953.jpg

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http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o183/pearlbluevtx/IMG_2952.jpg

I still don't understand why a job someone doesn't like or a job that entails doing things someone doesn't like or even a boss someone doesn't like gives anyone the right to spit in popcorn.



I don't understand why everybody so hung up on my comment. It was following reply to post talking about whipping people to get the popcorn made fresher. Just like that post didn't mean he actually whips concessionist when his popcorn's not fresh, my post wasn't saying people actually spit in the popcorn.

(Well, I must admit teenagers decided to get revenge and spitting in popcorn is probably more commonplace than whipping concessionists, but certainly not widespread; besides, most theares I've been too have wide open and visible concessions stands so you could probably see if you're popcorn was spit in....)

Anyway, it wasn't meant to be serious.

Says you.

I keep a cat-o-nine tails dangling at the end of my wallet chain JUST for theater personel.