Carmike Cinemas, Inc. (NASDAQ: CKEC), a leading DIGITAL cinema and 3D motion picture exhibitor, today announced the projected summer 2012 opening of a new Carmike Cinema entertainment complex in the Grand Boulevard at Sandestin.
The new Carmike theatre, named the Montecito 10, will feature ten screens with total seating for 1,800 and will be highlighted by a state-of-the-art "BIGD" auditorium, and Ovation Club, Carmike's premium theatre environments.
Notes Carmike President and CEO David Passman: "We're providing the ultimate entertainment experience that centerpieces large format digital with bigger screens, bigger sound, and luxurious theatre seating for cutting edge presentation and the definitive enjoyment of our audiences. With the opening of the new location, the Destin area joins a select and growing list of communities across the nation offering Carmike theatre-goers the exciting new "BIGD" format and our Ovation Club."
The Ovation Club menu features delectable appetizers and entrees like Crab Cakes with Lemon-Dill sauce, Caribbean Jerky Shrimp and hand prepared tasty sandwiches like sliced Black Forest Ham and Swiss with Honey Dijon mayo and the signature desert, the Ovation Brownie Bottom Pie. Beer and wine will be served in the Ovation Club pending the approval of local authorities.
Grand Boulevard at Sandestin provides Carmike's new theatre location a strategic high-traffic retail center known for its grand shopping experience and beautifully landscaped environment where patrons can enjoy leisurely walks to the theatre, nationally known shops and restaurants while appreciating the Town Center atmosphere. Grand Boulevard is convenient to the beaches of South Walton along Northwest Florida's Gulf Coast.
"Bringing a theatre group of Carmike's high quality to Grand Boulevard and the Sandestin area is something we recognized as very important and we applaud both Carmike Cinemas and our town center owners, Howard Group and Merchants Retail Partners, for their commitment to make this happen," said Stacey Brady, spokesperson for Grand Boulevard. "This will be a major amenity to Walton County, Destin area residents and seasonal visitors and a major addition to the local economy."
Expected to draw area movie-goers to the "BIGD" Experience will be the totally enhanced theatre amenities offered by a wall-to-wall screen measuring over 60 feet wide and three stories tall, boosted by the latest in 7.1 surround sound and Digital projection of both 2D and 3D features. In technical terms, Carmike's "BIGD" DIGITAL Experience is powered by a cutting edge Christie Brilliant 3-D flash projector. Images are projected onto a colossal wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor screen. The end result is a light output of 30,000 lumens, creating a picture quality with noticeably higher resolution than HD.
The new environment will be further embellished by the comfort of plush leather high-back rocking seats placed for optimal viewing in a stadium seating configuration.
"The success over the past years of 3-D releases for features like 'Avatar,' 'Toy Story 3', 'Transformers Dark of the Moon,' and the record-breaking new 'Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2,' proves that audiences are excited about and enjoy the new DIGITAL experience, and are demanding it," notes David Passman. "These early successes will no doubt persuade producers to release more movies in this format, and with the "BIGD" experience – in either 3-D or 2-D DIGITAL – Carmike has the full capability to provide our audiences with the technology and total luxury that brings theatre-going to a new level."
Commenting on the summer 2012 addition of Destin to the Carmike presentation of the "BIGD" Experience locations, Terrell Mayton, Director of Marketing noted: "Whether it be a movie, concert, sporting event, motivational speaker or church service, patrons will find "BIGD" placing them at the heart of the event."
About Carmike Cinemas (NASDAQ: CKEC) -www.carmike.com
Carmike Cinemas, Inc. is a U.S. leader in digital cinema and 3-D cinema deployments and one of the nation's largest motion picture exhibitors. As of June 30, 2011 Carmike had 235 theatres with 2,215 screens in 36 states. Carmike's digital cinema footprint reached 2,083 screens, including 207 theatres with 724 screens that are also equipped for 3-D. Carmike's focus for its theatre locations is small to mid-sized communities.
About Howard Group, Merchants Retail Partners and GB Retail LLC – www.grandboulevard.com;www.howardgrp.com;www.merchantsretail.com
Grand Boulevard is the shop, dine, play and stay Town Center located on Northwest Florida's beaches. Based on the prominent mixed-use architectural model, Grand Boulevard offers a dynamic lifestyle experience with convenient access to a multitude of exclusive shopping and dining options, entertainment, professional services, corporate offices and lodging. Grand Boulevard is a Howard Group and Merchants Retail Partners property. For more information, please call (850) 654-5929 or visit www.grandboulevard.com.
Howard Group is a portfolio real estate development company specializing in premier commercial, hospitality and residential developments in Northwest Florida. Established in 1988, Howard Group is responsible for the development of the acclaimed Silver Sands Factory Stores, the nation's largest designer outlet center. Howard Group's latest project is the distinctive Grand Boulevard at Sandestin® Town Center, which includes two Marriott hotels, exclusive shops, destination restaurants, state-of-the-art office space and a lush park. The company has also developed several upscale gulf-front resort and residential communities such as Vizcaya at Dune Allen and Stallworth Preserve. Heron Harbor is a future project in Destin that is being designed as a mixed-use community that will include retail, office, residential and marina components. A diverse and visionary company, Howard Group places a primary emphasis on sustainable and responsible development of prime real estate.
Merchants Retail Partners (MRP) is a real estate investment firm specializing in retail development, acquisitions and dispositions as well as asset management. Its member companies have over 50 years of real estate, investment and entrepreneurial experience. Members include Protective Life Insurance Company, a leading provider of life insurance and annuity products with $40 billion in assets and Real Estate Capital Strategies LLC (RECS).
Contacts:
Carmike Cinemas, Inc.
Terrell Mayton,
706-576-3464
Director of Marketing
or
Grand Boulevard at
Sandestin
Stacey Brady, 850-837-3099 ext.3
Director of
Marketing and Public Relations
