STONE HARBOR — The hand sanitizing stations are set up around the lobby at Harbor Square Theater, but the concession stand is practically empty of all candy. Plexiglass and stickers reminding customers to stay 6 feet apart are in stock but have not been put in place yet.
After being closed for five months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, theaters in New Jersey are ready to reopen, but they don’t have a date yet.
In fact, Gov. Phil Murphy has given theater owners little hint as to when they might be allowed to reopen. According to the state’s three-stage reopening plan, limited entertainment would be permitted in Stage Three. The state is currently in Stage Two, but on Aug. 3, Murphy decreased indoor gatherings to 25 people or 25% of a room’s capacity, down from 100 people in a room after clusters of COVID-19 cases were linked to indoor house parties.
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But theaters, along with gyms and indoor dining, are some of the last three places people still can’t go, with exceptions. Gyms are permitted to offer one-one-one personal training indoors and most restaurants shifted operations to offer outdoor dining, but theaters are still off limits.
According to the state’s COVID-19 website, “Movie theaters can open outdoor spaces, subject to the appropriate mitigation requirements and limits on outdoor gatherings. Indoor areas remain closed.”
Drive-in theaters, such as the Delsea Drive-In in Vineland can operate with safety measures in place.
And with no end in sight, Brett Denafo’s concern keeps growing and growing.
Denafo co-owns the Stone Harbor Theater, Tilton Square Theater in Northfield and the newly renovated Ventnor Square Theater, which was slated to open this past spring.
“We’re just looking to open,” he said. “We just want to be able to open up. A lot of these theaters might not make it.”
Denafo’s theaters, and many others around the state, are currently part of a lawsuit that is suing the New Jersey in federal court over reopening restrictions. A representative for the theaters in the suit could not be reached for comment.
“It was heard last week,” Denafo said. “The judge basically said to the state, ‘Let’s try to get a settlement here, let’s try to do something and get it settled.’ So I’m hopeful that we can be open soon. I have a feeling that this judge is going to say what (Murphy) is doing is not right.”
Murphy has not recently commented on theaters reopening, but when asked about gyms and indoor dining reopening at his Monday COVID-19 briefing, he said he would like to see the number of cases decrease before making any movement.
“I have enormous sympathy for the industries, both restaurant and hospitality as well as the gyms, ... about trying to piece together what indoor dining could look like, what gyms could look like,” he said Monday. “I don’t accept that we’re not able to get there in the absence of a vaccine or the end of the pandemic. I hope we get there. We’re not there yet.”
In June, Denafo and his partners opened Tilton Square Theater in defiance of the governor’s executive order but reduced capacity and implemented an array of safety protocols. A week later, they were shut down.
National theaters AMC and Regal announced this week they will be opening their theaters on Friday with many safety guidelines in place. AMC will not be reopening its New Jersey locations, per the governor’s executive order. It is unclear if Regal, who has theaters in Mays Landing and Vineland, will reopen elsewhere.
Regal did not respond to a request for comment from The Press.
Denafo is afraid that once theaters are allowed to reopen in New Jersey that concession items will be limited.
“The thing that scares me is if they say that we can’t serve food,” he said. “I hope that’s not the case. If that is the case, theaters can’t open. We don’t make any money off the movies. All the money is off concessions. The ticket pricing pretty much goes to the film studios, we make very little money. That’s why popcorn is 10 bucks.”
When they do reopen, patrons and groups will sit a few seats, maybe even rows, away from each other and will be required to wear a mask, except when they’re in their seat.
NORTHFIELD — A week after opening in defiance of Gov. Phil Murphy’s executive order, The Titlton Square movie theater has closed.
“If you want to wear a mask, go ahead, sit in the chair, wear a mask and watch a movie,” he said. “If you’re taking a sip of a drink or eating popcorn take it off and put it back on again.”
And with schools reopening in September, with full or limited in-person instruction, Denafo believes people should be able to go watch a movie.
“This governor’s keeps talking about air conditioning, our Northfield location has UV lighting in the units so it’s killing the bacteria while circulating all the time,” he said. “And we’ve got 30-foot ceilings in here.
“(Murphy’s) argument is, ‘Well you’re sitting in a room for two hours watching a movie,’ but when I go shopping I’m shopping for over an hour,” he added.
Theaters make most of their profit in the summer and over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, Denafo said.
“The summertime is the hot time because you’re busy from Easter until Labor Day. If you get a couple rainy days then you’re really busy,” he said. “Then Thanksgiving, kids are off from school that whole week so it’s busy. That’s why there are big blockbusters that come out in the summer, Thanksgiving weekend and Christmastime.”
But as for summer 2020, he said the season is completely lost.
