Lexington’s newest entertainment complex opens Thursday. Here’s an inside look.
Spaced out among the various tables of LexLive’s Game Day Sports Bar, servers on Wednesday were going through more training ahead of the facility’s Thursday grand opening.
George Krikorian, the owner of LexLive and Krikorian Premiere Theatres, stood in the atrium of the two-story venue and watched as trainers showed the new staff how to fold napkins around silverware.
“For many, this is their very first work experience,” Krikorian said. It’s one of the best parts of owning a movie theater — giving young people their first jobs, he said during a Wednesday tour of Lexington’s newest movie theater.
Some of the nearly 200 newly hired employees on Wednesday worked to put the final touches on Lexington’s newest entertainment venue on the corner of South Broadway and High Streets.
With three bars, including the Game Day Sports Bar, a bowling alley, an arcade and 10 movie screens in 90,000 square feet of space, there was a lot to prepare.
Thursday’s 3 p.m. opening has been a long time coming. First announced in 2014, the project’s opening was pushed back several times because of various construction delays.
Krikorian said Wednesday he believes LexLive will be a success despite restrictions on crowds to tamp down the spread of the coronavirus. The venue will open at 50 percent capacity. Face masks will be required.
“I think people are looking forward to entertainment and want to go back to the movies,” Krikorian said. “All sporting events are opening back up now.”
Many major movie studios either delayed releases of major movies or moved those movies to streaming during the pandemic. Many movie theaters closed, some permanently, over the past year. Krikorian said Wednesday most studios are now eyeing summer and fall theatrical releases as the COVID-19 vaccine becomes more widely available and people feel safer gathering in large groups.
“Theaters are opening up in New York and will soon in California and other larger metropolitan areas in the next few weeks,” Krikorian said.
Some of the first-run movies showing this week include indie darling ”Nomadland” and the kid-pleasing “Croods. A New Age.”
LexLive’s business model is not solely based on movie ticket sales or concessions. The Game Day Sports Bar, which has multiple large-screen televisions for sporting events, seats 500. The Corner Bar, which faces High Street, features high-end bourbons and local beer. A bowling alley and arcade will also serve a diverse clientele, Krikorian said.
On Wednesday, cooks were preparing practice meals in the kitchen of the Game Day Sports Bar. The menu includes typical bar food, such as wings, burgers and pizza, mixed with higher-end items, such as short rib street tacos and avocado toast.
“It’s a scratch kitchen,” Krikorian said, meaning nothing is frozen and reheated. “The food is good ... And I’m very picky.”
Krikorian, who owns a horse farm in Woodford County and is the son of a horse trainer, has wanted to put one of his theaters, which were largely based in California, in Lexington for decades.
“Downtown Lexington doesn’t have a large movie theater,” Krikorian said.
The location at the corner of South Broadway and High Street is ideal. Across the street, crews continue to work on expanding the Central Bank Center, the Rupp Arena and convention center complex. That complex will be completed in early 2022. People attending conventions will be able to walk across the street to catch a movie, drink a beer or watch a game.
LexLive is also the closest movie theater to the University of Kentucky campus and its more than 30,000 students, another big draw about the South Broadway and High Street location.
The complex is built adjacent to a more than 600-space parking garage for those driving in from other parts of the city, Krikorian said.
“People don’t even have to go outside,” Krikorian said. “They can park and just take the elevator down.”
Guests can order movie tickets online, and at the same time, order food to be brought to their seats when they arrive. All movie seats are reserved. The seats recline, have adjustable headrests and seat warmers.
“We are trying to avoid lines,” Krikorian said. “People want convenience.”
Would-be moviegoers can also purchase tickets on site through kiosks and the concierge desk on the main floor. There are traditional concession stands with expanded food options on the first and second floors.
The 13-lane bowling alley on the first floor is also a first for a Krikorian Premiere Theatres.
Why bowling?
“People love bowling,” Krikorian said. “We have been inundated with phone calls already about booking the bowling alley.”
Four bowling lanes can be reserved for private events, such as birthday parties. But the remaining lanes are on a first-come, first-served basis.
Adjacent to the bowling alley is a more than 50-game arcade featuring many virtual games and souped-up old-school games, such as Space Invaders and Connect Four. Off the arcade are two private party rooms.
“They are for birthday parties or corporate events,” Krikorian said. “All the rooms are wired so people can do presentations.”
Downstairs has five movie screens that are 45 feet wide in rooms seating up to 100. Upstairs has an additional five movie screens, including one LFX — an 80-foot screen that is believed to be the largest in Kentucky. It has Dolby Atmos sound system with 150 speakers.
It’s not just surround sound.
The sound goes through different speakers depending on the scene.
“We can also broadcast live sports events, opera, theater,” Krikorian said.
Other plans include possibly adding E-Sporting events or video gaming competitions in the future.
“First, we have to open,” Kirkorian said laughing.
This story was originally published March 10, 2021 at 3:36 PM.
