Warren Theaters coming to MWC!

[jn1780]

The whole thing is odd and unprecedented. If this turns out to be the case, I wonder if Warren is running his company as a luxury theater developer that immediately sales to Regal to run and own? Right now the Warren website branches off between new and current Warren theaters. Why keep the fact that the new theaters will also be run by Regal on the down low? If I were a city, I wouldn't want to offer up any incentives to Warren Theaters unless I knew what their future plans are with the site.

[jn1780]

Spoke to managers at the Moore location. Do you really think Regal would have bought his theaters and then allow him to open new competition down the street? If you don't believe me just wait until it opens.

Not normally, no. But it all depends on what kind of deal was signed. Regal doesn't currently own the two locations under construction/pending, but turning over ownership may be part of the long term deal.

[Roger S]

Regal Entertainment Group is expanding its holdings in Oklahoma by acquiring operating Warren Theatres here, but the deal doesn't include two new theaters the latter has agreed to build in Midwest City and north Oklahoma City.

Full Article from May: http://newsok.com/article/5549828

[jn1780]

Speaking of Regal.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/28/cine...ut-merger.html

[zcamaro70]

Bill Warren still 100% owns the two new theatres that are going to be built. Regal will only manage and staff. You might go look at my post history to see I did mention the Mathis Bros Sleep center in front of Warren before anyone knew what was coming. I have been hearing that the north OKC one might not happen but it is still scheduled at this time.

[Roger S]

Bill Warren still 100% owns the two new theatres that are going to be built. Regal will only manage and staff. You might go look at my post history to see I did mention the Mathis Bros Sleep center in front of Warren before anyone knew what was coming. I have been hearing that the north OKC one might not happen but it is still scheduled at this time.

This isn't about you being right or wrong... It's about the credibility of your sources. I've posted a link to a report that says otherwise and you can go to the Warren theater website and it says that Bill Warren is building new luxury theaters.... I've contacted corporate asking who will be operating the new theaters. So hopefully they will give me an answer.

[Roger S]

Well I never got a response back from Warren on who will operate the new theaters they are building but it looks like the Regal/Cineworld deal is going through in early 2018.

http://www.kansas.com/news/business/...188115489.html

[Dafonso7]

I saw post said The former was (Fuze) then now new Feast buffets and new restaurant (Merci) Hitachi steakhouse Japanese. I never heard this word " Merci"? does anyone know about this?

[MikeLucky]

Bill Warren still 100% owns the two new theatres that are going to be built. Regal will only manage and staff. You might go look at my post history to see I did mention the Mathis Bros Sleep center in front of Warren before anyone knew what was coming. I have been hearing that the north OKC one might not happen but it is still scheduled at this time.

If regal is going to staff and run the new Warren, then it will be very, very disappointing. Because the Moore Warren is a pathetic shell of what it used to be and a huge part of that is because of staffing, service, and maintenance levels. If this is true, then consider me completely heart broken.

[Roger S]

If regal is going to staff and run the new Warren, then it will be very, very disappointing. Because the Moore Warren is a pathetic shell of what it used to be and a huge part of that is because of staffing, service, and maintenance levels. If this is true, then consider me completely heart broken.

You sure you weren't at the Robinson Crossing theater? About the only changes I've noticed at Warren is the containers the popcorn is served in.

[Martin]

i'm going to say that customer service isn't quite at the level that it was before regal took over... but i'd hardly say that it's a 'pathetic shell' of its former self.

[Roger S]

i'm going to say that customer service isn't quite at the level that it was before regal took over... but i'd hardly say that it's a 'pathetic shell' of its former self.

Longest wait time I've had for anything there was the two people in line in front of me that couldn't understand they had to choose their seats to get their tickets. I can't blame that on the staff.... concession lines have been about the same for me.

[sooner333]

You sure you weren't at the Robinson Crossing theater? About the only changes I've noticed at Warren is the containers the popcorn is served in.

This and ads before the movies. And the ability to buy tickets on Fandango is now available (not that important to me but I do have relatives who like to give Fandango gift cards). Otherwise my recent experience was similar.

[Martin]

Longest wait time I've had for anything there was the two people in line in front of me that couldn't understand they had to choose their seats to get their tickets. I can't blame that on the staff.... concession lines have been about the same for me.

i can't judge wait time in lines because i have the psychic ability to choose the absolute slowest line in any given situation.

there isn't anything major that i would say is lacking in customer service under regal... just small things like staff being a bit less attentive, the imax entrance being inexplicably locked/closed before a recent movie, another recent movie debut that was accidentally entered as stadium seating instead of reserved seating... small stuff like that.

however, i will say that online ticketing is better... i don't think the barcode scanners for online purchases were implemented under warren and it's really convenient to just scan my phone's screen rather than having to wait in line to get printed tickets. another improvement is the box office line... i prefer the single line system where the person at the front goes to the next available register over the multiple lines that warren had in place.

[MikeLucky]

The last 3 times I've been to the Warren the experience has been progressively worse. One time they had only two concessions lines open, only in the main lobby.... Counters were all sticky and filthy. On the counters behind the workers it was nothing but stacked up open and disheveled boxes of product and items.

The second time I went the concessions we're the same. Also I noticed a great many of the seat cushions in the IMAX were showing a great deal of wear and stretching. A light rail on the front of one of the steps was falling off and many people kept tripping on it. And, that big awesome IMAX screen had several dead pixels in it.

This last time I went to see Solo in the IMAX. They didn't have the concession stand or ticket counter open in the IMAX lobby. This time they didn't even bother to have a ticket taker or anyone to hand out the 3D glasses. They precariously stacked several very dirty and fingerprinted glasses on the ticket pedestal so we had the luxury of picking out our own dirty glasses. The dead pixels were still very prominent several weeks later from my previous visit. The ridiculous 30 minutes of commercials and fluff prior to the movie was playing, audio only which somehow actually made it even more annoying than it already is in general.

There is no longer any consideration for lines, so if it's a big movie and it's not reserved seating, it's absolute thunderdome. Total cluster.

The service level and maintenance issues were something you would NEVER see in a pre-regal Warren. Sadly it's still the best theater in the city, but it's very disappointing to see how neglected the theater is now and how far the service level has fallen.

Maybe I'm a theater snob but saying the current Warren is a shell of its former self is 100 percent accurate. Going there used to be an experience... Now it's just going to a movie. Sadly as time goes on I feel it'll just continue to degrade, unless this new company that is buying regal understands that this asset that they acquired is wasting away.

[Questor]

My feeling is that it is a mixed bag. Something I like much better is their online ticketing and being able to show a barcode on your phone as your ticket. That's very convenient. On the flip side, maintenance isn't as good as it used to be. In the Grand Auditorium I've noticed some of the fabric on their seats is ripped or looks very worn, at least one of the alphanumeric row identifiers had fallen off one of the end cap seats making it harder to identify, some of their "night lights" were out, and surfaces/floors/etc. just weren't as clean. Nothing outrageous, just more in line with a normal theater now. Warren Theatres were just operating at a higher standard before.

[jn1780]

Sadly it's still the best theater in the city, but it's very disappointing to see how neglected the theater is now and how far the service level has fallen.

Maybe I'm a theater snob but saying the current Warren is a shell of its former self is 100 percent accurate. Going there used to be an experience... Now it's just going to a movie. Sadly as time goes on I feel it'll just continue to degrade, unless this new company that is buying regal understands that this asset that they acquired is wasting away.

It won't be for long, but maybe this is why Bill Warren jumped shipped. He sees the rise of the dine in theater concept.

[jonny d]

Man, I must be nowhere neat the snob the majority of the people on OKCTalk are. I have not had 1 bad experience at the Warren, especially recently. I haven't noticed much downturn and ruin, like the board predicted.

[Thomas Vu]

Could be confirmation bias.

[mkjeeves]

I've been there one time, last winter to see The Shape of Water. Evidently if wasn't whatever the glory days were but we didn't know better and had a great time.

[bombermwc]

So what we all thought was the theater was apparently a Burlington, which is nearing completion. What's now painfully obvious based on the design, is the the theater is next to Burlington and is still putting up the concrete slab walls.

Also noticed two out parcels have been leased for two eateries. One is a sushi/hibachi and the other is some soft of World Buffet or something ( i didnt catch the sign very well). So the lots are filling in at a decent pace with i think about half of them taken now.

[PaddyShack]

Are there any drone shots or other pictures of this development?

[Dafonso7]

The bancfirst of the bank next across to. I was so surprised that start planning for new building this is a Murphy USA Gas Station. Someone, to put this set up for a new Murphy USA from under Wal-Mart or What? I disagree that isn't unfit for those ideas? Find out and Why?

[bombermwc]

Well the Super Center across the corner, doesn't have a Murphy. Im guessing because they didnt have the parking lot with the Del City Chamber being on the corner parcel where the old gas station was. It's a weird location for a gas station, but whatevs...

Here are a couple shots. Shows the completed Burlington (place looks ready to open but with nothing inside), Warren U/C, and the buffet/hibachi building (front and back).
20180804_102823.jpg20180804_102836.jpg20180804_103107.jpg20180804_102856.jpg

[bombermwc]

A month later, and things haven't really changed much.

I thought the restaurants would be open by now, but they pretty much just have a roof and some stud walls. And the Warren doesn't really look like anything has changed.
Im pretty sure Burlington is open now though.

I heard about another eatery going in here, but dang for the life of me i can't remember which one it was now.