SECOND STREET — "Gone with the Wine," "One Brew Over the Cuckoos Nest," and "Rumdog Millionaire," coming to a theater near you.
The Laemmle Theater is looking for permission to allow alcohol in the theaters and at two new restaurants — one planned for the roof.
The Planning Commission is scheduled to consider three alcohol permits — one for each restaurant and one for the theater areas — at its meeting Wednesday night.
The Laemmle has been closed for reconstruction since May. They are adding two screens — there will be six total — and drastically reducing seats from 1,091 to 372.
On the ground floor, the four theaters will range from 46 to 138 seats. Each of the two second-floor theaters will seat 25.
Beer and wine would be sold from the ground-floor concession stand, which will also sell sandwiches, sliders, salad, and pizza.
"It is expected that movie patrons will purchase beer or wine at the sole ground floor concession stand and consume the beer or wine within the theater auditoriums while watching the movies," city planners said in a report.
A rooftop restaurant, seating 165 people, would be unenclosed and open to the sky. Laemmle hasn't selected an operator yet but they are applying for an alcohol license for the 3,000-square-foot seating area.
Loud or live music and televisions would be prohibited on the rooftop after midnight, under the proposed licenses. The restaurant would be open from 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Alcohol service would stop 30 minutes prior to closing.
The second restaurant, which is also without an operator to date, would occupy the first and second floor of the building. It would seat 181 people, including 12 as part of an outdoor dining area on Second Street.
Laemmle officials are also seeking a liquor license for this restaurant, which would operate from 6 a.m. 1 a.m. from Sunday through Thursday and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
City planners support Laemmle's requests for liquor licenses but added several conditions. They recommend that the Planning Commission approve all three.
"The cinema environment is about to get more competitive in Santa Monica," CEO Greg Laemmle told the Architectural Review Board (ARB) in February. "And we feel the enhancements that need to be made to our location here will allow us to present a modern and competitive film center which will show the foreign and independent films we're known for but also allow a flexible space for festivals and screenings."
The ARB was largely complementary of the designs.
Laemmle was hoping to open up in time for AFM, the world's largest independent film market, but, Greg Laemmle says, that won't happen thanks a late start and delays. AFM starts early next month.
Earlier this year, a new ArcLight cinema was approved for the third level of the Santa Monica Place mall.
City Hall is currently in negotiations with ArcLight to add an even larger theater where Parking Structure 3 is currently located.
dave@www.smdp.com
