The Post and Courier

The "retro-industrial" motif is evident from the moment you enter Cinebarre. The company colors, silver and black, register as sleek and unpretentious. There are no gaudy frontages and eye-assaulting bells and whistles.

Enjoying its grand opening in the Charleston market on Friday, Cinebarre is a fresh spin on a relatively old concept — dinner and a movie under one roof — matched with a suitably old-school attitude about movie-theater comportment.

Adults are the target audience. Cinebarre's beverage menu "caters to a more sophisticated palate," and children under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. No loud talking, no cell phones, no high jinks, no squalling babies.

"Cinebarre is designed for civilized adults," says company CEO Terrell Braly. "With rare exceptions, we will always have a staffer monitoring for red flags and disruptive behavior. The latter will be almost nonexistent, because the patrons we appeal to won't tolerate that. We wanted to come out of the gate showing that we were not just a another mainstream theater."

Re-imagined and extensively remodeled, the new inhabitant of the former Movies at Mount Pleasant building on Houston Northcutt has eliminated one of the original 12 theaters to install a restaurant-caliber commercial kitchen. It also has converted the lobby area into a lounge and bar, installed new screens and sound systems and replaced every other row of seats in the theaters with bench tables. The final touch includes new ceilings and revamped decor with the signature color scheme. Notwithstanding its multitheater setup, Cinebarre suggests a traditional moviehouse festooned with large vintage pieces.

Overseeing the theater is director of operations Jeff Martens, who moved to Mount Pleasant from Asheville, N.C., in April. Serving as general manager is Shannon Yegge. Cinebarre's joint venture partner is the world's largest theater chain, Regal Entertainment Group, which owned Movies at Mount Pleasant. But Cinebarre's staff has the final word on film bookings, Braly says.

Expect a mix of first-run films and film genres, with a balance among mainstream, art-house and hybrid pictures. Friday's opening film will be director Anand ("Shopgirl") Tucker's independent feature "When Did You Last See Your Father?" An unflinching examination of a father-son relationship, the British drama stars Oscar winner Jim Broadbent, Colin Firth and Juliet Stevenson.

If the restaurant-theater concept has had a checkered history over the years, the folks at Asheville, N.C.-based Cinebarre says it's because previous business models were flawed, failing to offer high-quality cuisine or unobtrusive service.

Which begs the question: How can serving food and drink within a theater itself during a screening not be distracting?

"If a company has operational difficulties that would be a problem," says Braly. "But delivery is something at which we excel. To a great extent we train for silent service. We believe we do have it down to a science. Well over 80 percent of our orders are taken prior to the film starting, and we strongly encourage our customers to be here 30-45 minutes before the film begins.

"You will be greeted within five minutes of sitting down, your drink order will be delivered within 10 minutes of being input and your dinner, should you order one, will be delivered within 20 minutes. Follow-up orders generally are refills on a drink."

Unlike a conventional multiplex, patrons will not have to sit through seven or eight previews of coming attractions and a battery of TV-like commercials.

"We will have several previews, but will keep them very much at a minimum," Braly says. "We are not an advertising venue or an extension of an ad agency's dream of a captive audience. We do not treat people with that kind of disrespect."

Braly introduced the concept to Asheville on June 29, 2007, with a five-screen operation. The Mount Pleasant venue has 11 screens and 50 percent more seating capacity. Plans for a third Cinebarre complex in Denver already are under way.

Even in an era marked by Netflix and a national movie-theater glut, Braly is confident the concept will fly in the Charleston area.

"We know what we do works. Too many people come up with excuses why they're failing, blaming Netflix or the home-theater experience, rather than looking at how they might succeed. Our statistics show the restaurant business is healthier today than (it has) ever been. But the experience has to be enjoyable for mature adults; otherwise I'd stay at home, too."

For more details, visit www.cinebarre.com.

Reach Bill Thompson at bthompson@postandcourier.com or 937-5707.