ACX Cinemas at Bayshore close to first opening

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With opening days only a few days away, Hunzinger Construction crews are on crunch time renovating the ACX Cinemas movie theater at Bayshore in Glendale.

The Nebraska-based entertainment company is renovating around 45,000 square feet on the second floor of the Bayshore rotunda, including construction of six auditoriums, an 11-lane bowling alley, a combined bar and restaurant and a 40-game arcade. The total project cost isn’t publicly available but ranges in the multimillions, said Michael Barstow, executive president of ACX Cinemas.

ACX Entertainment at Bayshore is a “significant investment” between ACX, Bayshore owner Cypress Equities and the city of Glendale, Barstow told The Daily Reporter. Plans started being hashed out with the previous iPic owners two years ago while on a company trip in downtown Milwaukee, Barstow added.

Theater officials expect a soft opening this weekend after a safety inspection walk-through Friday, and ACX will plan a grand opening the following week depending on how the space is received. Just in time for when Barbie and Oppenheimer are released in theaters July 29, Barstow remarked.

The design ethos behind the renovation project is this: Make spaces more interactive and available to a wide demographic, Barstow said. Whether people are out on date night on Friday night, going bowling on Monday or gathering with friends to see the new Spider-Man, there should be entertainment for many different people. The goal is to “let people use us as they please,” Barstow added.

The space is also redesigned to make activities more visible. A viewing port cut into the existing auditorium hallway gives a wide view of the bowling alley nearby, in order to entice moviegoers to bowl or vice versa.

The entire entrance has moved to center the 5,000-square-foot arcade, so when people step in, they will be surrounded by flashing lights and sounds in the spirit of a Las Vegas casino floor, Barstow noted.

One of the most noticeable changes in the front entrance is the higher ceilings after crews dropped the floors by two feet.

The auditoriums had a makeover as well. On top of new paint, tile and flooring, crews made space for heated recliners from Mississippi-based VIP Luxury Seating, according to project officials. The company replaced only one movie screen and made technological updates to the projectors, officials added.

When finished, the theater will seat a total of 416 people, project officials noted.

The new restaurant, dubbed Backlot Pizza + Kitchen, has Detroit-style pizza as the landmark menu item. The only other Backlot location is back home in Omaha, in the company’s home state of Nebraska.

Backlot will have the same countertop, new tiles, panels and paints. Barstow said crews knocked down a wall to the former party room to open up more seating for diners. It’s far enough from crowded entrances and glowing attractions to make a quiet night out, he added.

Moviegoers will also have a “take-out” option, as the theater concession stand offers part of the in-house restaurant menu for moviegoers. Patrons will have to pick up their own food after receiving a notification on their phone, Barstow said.

When asked about accommodations for people with physical disabilities, Barstow said the building provides an elevator and a multi-story parking structure connects directly into the second floor of the building.

The former Bar Louie across from the theater will become a Buchanan’s English and Scotch-style restaurant, Barstow told The Daily Reporter.

ACX officials talked with the owners of the previous theater, iPic, two years ago during the pandemic, Barstow said. The original iPic at Bayshore closed around six years ago. The property became more attractive when ACX noticed another redevelopment wave ushered in Target and Total Wine & More next door, Barstow added.