Pictured: A theater screen is installed at CineBistro. Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.

In preparation for a February opening, officials from CineBistro afforded the community a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the incoming theater and dining establishment as the first silver screen was installed this past Friday at Westfield Southgate. Measuring 16 feet by 38 feet, six more screens of similar dimensions will be installed, some with 3D capabilities, in addition to an attached restaurant serving around 100 patrons, before the 35,000-square-foot project is complete and Sarasota’s luxury cinema experience begins, combining restaurant-style dining with high-end theater-style viewing.

With an emphasis on service and comfort, a movie ticket will cost $15 but will also provide a theater experience unlike any other currently in the market. Seating is reserved and assigned, with each attendee being met by one of the expected 120-person CineBistro staff and escorted to his or her seat, a mechanically-reclining plush leather affair with plenty of room and an attached adjustable table, where one can then order as much or as little to eat and drink from a custom-designed Sarasota menu created by the Alabama-based CineBistro in conjunction with Florida chefs. “You get to decide if it’s a popcorn movie night or a full, coursed meal,” said CineBistro regional operations director Matt Russell, frequently emphasizing the conjunction of flexibility and upscale pampering inherent to the CineBistro brand.

But those more concerned about the sanctity of the cinema experience need not be alarmed at the notion of added dining distractions and servers moving up and down the aisles, said Russell. Orders must be placed before the start of the film, he said, with on-screen prompts reminding the audience of this window, and will be delivered to the seats before as well. And once the movie begins, the viewing aspect takes precedence, said Russell. It may be a juggling act, but “we respect the movie experience as much as we respect the dining experience,” he said. In a testament to the operation’s dedication to luxury viewing, added Russell, seating arrangements emphasize customers over profits, comfortably seating 80-90 per theater where other chains would seat 150-160.

Tickets sell out fast, according to Russell, but those just looking for a nice dinner out can still stop by, as this will also be the first CineBistro with an attached dining room functioning as its own restaurant separate from the theater experience. Also under the vaulted ceilings, a bar and lounge affords opportunity to relax before a show or reconvene after.

Pictured: A theater screen is installed at CineBistro. Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.