A CINE chain with more than a hundred seats closes one of its main branches in just a few hours.
Time is running out for moviegoers in London as the Odeon cinemas close their doors in one of its most iconic locations.
The Odeon Cinema at Surrey Quays, London, will close today for the last time, leaving moviegoers scrambling to find the last chance to see a film at this historic site.
The closure comes shortly after the popular cinema chain got rid of its Coven Garden location earlier this month.
The decision to close those sites comes as the two sites are about to be redeveloped by their owners.
In a statement, an Odeon spokesperson said: “Odeon confirms it will own its Covent Garden and Surrey Quays cinemas.
“This is due to redevelopment projects at both sites through their respective owners.
“Supporting our local film crews is our number one priority, and we will seek secure employment for as many of them as possible at one of our other local cinemas.
“We thank our visitors for any inconvenience this may cause. “
Covent Garden is destined to be transformed into a “luxury” hotel and theatre complex.
There is even a hypothesis that Cirque du Soleil would possibly be interested in the area as a possible venue with a capacity for 400 people.
A discouraged moviegoer shared on social media his sadness at the closure of Covent Garden: “I just went to @ODEONCinemas and yes, it closes this Thursday.
“They are remodeling it to turn it into a luxury hotel and a theater. Very sad. “
Now, Surrey Quays amusement park is also doing well, as the domain will be redeveloped.
The Pizza Hut and Hollywood Bowl are also expected to be at the recreation and grocery shopping park.
Developers of the domain near Canada Water subway station say they will build 384 new homes and a Tesco Extra supermarket.
“The redevelopment of the recreation park was approved by Southwark Council in early autumn last year. “
British Land added that the closure of Pizza Hut and the bowling alley was intended to “ensure they can remain open during the school summer holidays”.
Canada’s Water Master Plan is underway and the first phase of the task is nearing completion.
Part of the plan will be to demolish the Surrey Quays grocery shopping center and build a new town centre.
Odeon has already faced cuts in recent times.
Last year saw the closure of several cinemas, in addition to those in Magdalen Street, Oxfordshire, and Rigby Road, in Blackpool.
The company had promised to relocate its employees and affected workers.
Odeon has announced that it will close its branches in May last year.
Cineworld has revealed six UK sites it will close as it begins the first of a primary restructuring.
Empire Cinema closed several sites in 2023 after going into management in July of that year.
The company made the decision after “a thorough evaluation of all available options. “
The hotel sector is struggling.
In April, families’ favorite restaurant chain, Whitbread, revealed that it would close more than 200 locations and eliminate 1,500 jobs.
The organization shared its plans in its annual results, saying it planned to convert 112 restaurants into hotel expansions and terminate 126 “loss-making” establishments.
Pub Wetherspoons also closed bars across the United Kingdom and Byron Burger fell into receivership last year.
In March, Pizza Papa Johns announced it would close dozens of locations.
Some stores and establishments have closed a few branches here and there for reasons such as the end of a store lease.
Other examples of punctual, non-widespread closures are adjustments in the area, such as the closure of a grocery mall and, in some cases, a branch will close to move to another area.
Some chains, however, have faced more difficult conditions, forcing them to close dozens of stores, or even all of them in the worst case.
Cineworld is also in the spotlight with reports that up to 25 of its cinemas in the United Kingdom could close as part of an initial restructuring plan.
Six sites in Glasgow, Bedford, Hinckley, Loughborough, Yate and Swindon will close in the coming months as part of the first of a primary restructuring.
The chain will renegotiate lease agreements for about 50 of its theaters, but if the owners and Cineworld fail to reach an agreement, more theaters may be eliminated.
The Sun understands that Cineworld’s restructuring plans will soon be officially communicated to its owners.
The process would involve the company working with advisors to explore features that could come with a sale or further closings.
The burden of living through the crisis has meant that families have less cash in their pockets, leading some to spend more.
This affected businesses, restaurants and other establishments, with a relief in the number of people spending less.
They have also faced higher prices due to emerging energy prices, rents and business rates.
Figures from the Center for Retail Research, a research foundation, reveal that almost 10,500 points of sale last closed in 2023.
Over the 12-month period, more than 119,000 jobs were lost in the sector.
According to the Center’s most recent data, 1,846 retail outlets closed and 23,982 retail jobs were lost in the first six months of 2024.
©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. “The Sun”, “Sun”, “Sun Online” are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. This service is provided under News Group Newspapers’ Limited’s popular terms and conditions, in accordance with our Privacy and Cookies Policy. To request information about a license to reproduce material, please visit our distribution site. Check out our online press kit. For additional inquiries, please contact us. To view all of The Sun’s content, use the sitemap. Sun’s online website is regulated through the Independent Press Standards Organization (IPSO).
Our reporters try to be accurate, but we make mistakes. For more main points about our claims policy and to register a claim, please click on this link: thesun. co. uk/editorial-complaints/