CineBistro opens in Sarasota on Friday

SARASOTA -- Come Friday, Bradenton-Sarasota area residents and tourists can make one reservation for both dinner and a movie.

CineBistro, located in the Westfield Southgate mall at 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, opens on Friday with its first show, "Hail Caesar!" starting at 11:30 a.m. "Brooklyn," "Zoolander 2," "How to be Single" and "Deadpool" are also options for CineBistro's first round of customers.

CineBistro elevates the dinner-and-a-movie experience by bringing in world-class chefs and theaters designed for each moviegoer's comfort. The spacious leather seats recline with the push of a button. Each row is separated by 82 inches to assure that 90 people in each theater can easily move through without disturbing others.

And though the larger seats with reclining ability and wide spaces between aisles minimize the number of seats in each theater, Russell said it's less about packing as many customers as possible into theaters as it is about packing plenty of excellence into each person's visit.

"We're more about quality rather than quantity," he said.

Each CineBistro menu is tailored to the area market, and no two CineBistro menus are the same. The executive chef at each location works with CineBistro's corporate chef to design each menu.

"The chefs are not cookie cutter," Russell said. "They're artists." In Sarasota, moviegoers can choose between dishes such as Moroccan-spiced lamb, seared scallops and Nashville hot hried chicken before the movie begins. The Sarasota CineBistro bar offers a variety of craft cocktails, wine and beer. Traditional movie snacks such as popcorn and candy are also available.

On Wednesday, Betty and John O'Donoghue checked out the menu posted near CineBistro's front door. The couple said they always try to get out and try

everything new to Sarasota at least once.

"We'll have to see how well it goes over with so many seniors here," Betty said. "But it seems like there are some things we would be interested in."

An indoor patio, indoor seating area, outdoor patio and bar area offer options for those who want to try CineBistro's food and bar menus but don't feel like seeing a movie. The CineBistro restaurant-only option welcomes all ages.

Guests can either reserve seats from their home computer or when they arrive at the theater, though purchasing tickets ahead of time is recommended. Tickets purchased online can be picked up at the concierge counter or one of the ticket kiosks located in CineBistro's lobby.

To assure servers aren't interrupting the show, CineBistro asks people to arrive at least 30 minutes before the movie starts. After 6 p.m., no one under the age of 21 is allowed in the theater. For matinee and afternoon shows, any moviegoers under the age of 21 must be accompanied by an adult.

The Sarasota CineBistro has seven theaters, including three 3D-capable screens, and each will show a different feature film. Russell said CineBistro features big-ticket first-run Friday releases as well as independent and international films.

"And the market drives the choices," Russell said. "Every different CineBistro shows different movies every week." CineBistro, owned by Birmingham-based Cobb Theatres, has two locations in Tampa and one in Miami, with six others spread across Colorado, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina and Ohio.

Matt Russell, regional operations director for CineBistro, said a variety of factors brought the upscale theater-restaurant combination to Sarasota.

"We saw how underserved this corridor is," Russell said, referring to the stretch of U.S. 41 running alongside the mall. "There's a lot of places to eat, but not with world-class chefs."

The need for more dining and entertainment near the mall combined with the right mix of suitable demographics, income levels and traffic counts made Westfield Southgate a desirable place for CineBistro to open.

Ticket prices range from $12.50 for matinees to $15 for evening shows with an additional $3.50 charge for 3D movies. Tickets do not include food or beverage costs. All seven theaters, as well as a private banquet room, are available to rent for private parties. Visit cinebistro.com/Sarasota to purchase tickets and for more information.

Janelle O'Dea, business reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7095 or follow her on Twitter @jayohday.

This story was originally published February 10, 2016 at 11:52 PM with the headline "CineBistro opens in Sarasota on Friday ."