JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Movie theaters in Northeast Florida will be allowed to reopen Friday as part of the next phase of reopening the state in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
As part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan, they’ll be able to reopen at 50% capacity and with strict cleaning measures in place.
The San Marco Theatre told News4Jax on Thursday it’ll be reopening Friday.
“We’ve been preparing for it, making plans, really, since the day we shut down," said Ryan Davis, the co-owner.
The theater is preparing to welcome moviegoers back inside for the first time in more than two months, cleaning concessions and sanitizing each surface.
“We’re going to be detailing every seat, wiping it down with Clorox wipes and going through the cup holders, mopping the floors, all the handles, anything people can touch," said Andrew Oetjen, co-owner.
Employees will wear masks and groups will be spaced out inside the theater.
Just over two miles away, Sun Ray Cinema is opening for private parties through its new program Sun-Ray On-Demand.
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“There’s not any big Hollywood releases until the middle of July, so I see no reason to throw something on the screen and open the doors and see what happens when we have this really wonderful program in place with over a hundred bookings," said Shana David-Massett, co-owner of Sun-Ray.
As both theaters welcome moviegoers back, safety is their top priority so people can once again enjoy films safely.