Majestic 12* $12 million: amount of project including commercial piece* 375,000: number of people estimated to see a movie in the Majestic 12 annually* 2,500: number of seats* 12: number of screensSource: Carmike, RiverCity Co.MORE MAJESTIC FACTS* The roof collects rain water which is then used to operate toilets* The VIP auditorium, the Ovation Club, features reclining seats* Price of a regular Chicken Salad Wrap, the cheapest entree in the Ovation Club, is $4.95* Occupancy for the Ovation Club is about 50* There are seven kinds of beers served in the Ovation ClubSource: Carmike
The new Carmike Majestic 12 has been well received since the movie theater's opening nearly two months ago, officials said.
"We really don't have any numbers to compare (the attendance) to last year, but it is doing quite well," said Todd Coffman, city manager in Chattanooga for Carmike Cinemas.
Exact numbers of moviegoers are not available for release, according to Dale Hurst, director of marketing for Carmike.
But it is estimated that between 375,000 and 400,000 people will see a movie at the Majestic 12 annually, said Kim White, chief executive of private, nonprofit downtown redevelopment group RiverCity Co., which was developer of the facility. That would represent an increase from 165,000 at the Bijou, the Majestic's seven-screen predecessor that was operated by Carmike downtown.
Mr. Coffman said the Majestic 12 is another a way of "adding more options, especially for tourism downtown."
He expects it to result in an increase of revenue for Carmike Cinemas in Chattanooga. The chain also has theaters in Hixson, East Brainerd and Fort Oglethorpe.
The Rave is another key movie complex in the Chattanooga area, but officials could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon on the affect of the Majestic.
One of the key features of the $12 million project, which includes the planned development of available commercial space, is the Ovation Club, a VIP, adults-only screen where beer and upscale snacks are served to patrons.
"Our VIP auditorium has been received very well," said Mr. Hurst. "We've gotten a lot of positive feedback from that."
Exactly how much the Ovation Club has contributed to the overall success of the theater can't be determined, said Mr. Hurst.
"If we are playing a movie people want to see, then any auditorium is going to generate business for us," he said. "I'm not going to say that because we are serving shrimp cocktails and crab cakes that that's boosted the entire complex's sales. To me, it's another feature that we offer at the Majestic."
The Majestic opened Nov. 7, and since then there have been a couple of times that showings in the Ovation Club have sold out, said Mr. Coffman.
Tickets for the Ovation Club, which seats about 50 people, range from $10 to $15 depending on the time of the day.
The Majestic 12 is also the first standalone movie theater nationally that will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified, which Mr. Hurst believes will also help with attendance.
"I would definitely say that by us having that green tag, there are going to be those who choose us over something else, But then again it goes back to if we are not playing a movie they want to see, they'll go somewhere else," he said.
The LEED certification is expected to be received within the next four to six weeks, he said.
Mrs. White said the reason why RiverCity got involved with the Majestic theater was to create more activity and support restaurants, and to give people additional reasons to stay and do business downtown.
"And we've been very pleased," she said. "It has really been everything we expected."
Staff writer Tamara Best contributed to this story.