A movie theater chain serving the South Coast will begin a gradual reopening process starting later this month, as it makes changes to cope with coronavirus safety concerns. Santa Barbara County cleared the way for movie theaters to reopen as of last Friday. But, officials with Metropolitan Theaters say it is taking time to establish safety guidelines for its theaters.
Metropolitan owns most of the movie theaters in Southern Santa Barbara County. It will reopen its Camino Real Cinemas in Goleta and its Metro 4 Theaters in Santa Barbara June 26th, with others to come later.
Some of the operational changes include reduced capacity in the auditoriums to allow for social distancing, with empty spaces between each group, and every other row being kept empty.
Other precautions include the installation of safety barriers at box offices and concession stands, the shutdown of drinking fountains, and the requirement that people wear masks until seated.
