When patrons first enter the newly reopened State Theatre, co-owner David McNeil said they look somewhat confused.
Not that love seats, fresh pizza or a fully-stocked bar are weird things in and of themselves. But combined with a second-run movie theater, customers can be taken aback.
"People walk in and are like 'Wow, what's going on here?'" McNeil said. "It's definitely a new experience for a lot of them."
Located at 1415 O St., the State Theatre officially opened June 1, introducing Lincolnites to its unique "view n' brew" design, a brand of cinema houses that combines movies with a bar and lounge atmosphere.
Equipped with two separate bars (one is located inside the theater house itself), tables, chairs and an arrangement of couches and love seats, the State Theatre strives to mesh a traditional movie-going setting with new commodities. McNeil said the approach seems to be popular.
"People seem to love it," he said. "I keep getting e-mails [from people] saying they had a great time."
The theater stocks beer, wine, pizza, salads and imported desserts from Italy. Because of the availability of alcohol, only people 21 and over can attend unless accompanied by a parent. McNeil said that could change in the future.
An 18 and older section is in the works to ensure alcohol isn't sold to minors, McNeil said. The theatre would also like to offer afternoon matinees for kids.
"A lot of it depends on the movies that are playing, but we're always going to be family-friendly when the movies are family-friendly," he said.
Jeremiah Moore, an employee at the theater, said that despite foregoing conventional snack selections like popcorn and candy, customers seem willing to try the theater's new fare.
"We're on a test menu right now, but people seem to like it," Moore said. "We're going to try some theme nights in the future, probably get some different wines. It's pretty slick."
While the availability of alcohol has been popular, Moore said that the theatre offers much more.
"It's just a great place to hang out," he said. "I'm excited to see [the theater] go farther."
New additions to the theater may come quicker than even McNeil thought. McNeil said the increasing demand for couch space has prompted him to add more couches and love seats to other areas of the theater house.
"I'd say we had a couple hundred people over the two days of our opening weekend and all but about two or three of those wanted to sit on the couches," McNeil said. "We'll have to add more. They're the big thing right now."
Erica Wright, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate, said she visited the State Theatre twice over its opening weekend.
"I like the home atmosphere of the couches," she said. "It's much better than typical theaters. I'm also attracted to the movies they're showing here, especially the horror movies."
McNeil plans to have three different movies playing at any given time, switching one or two out each week based on ticket sales. Prices are set at $3.95 per person or $4.95 for couch seating.
Open seven days a week, the theater could prove a welcome alternative for movie-goers in the wake of the closing of the Starship 9 discount theatre.
Takako McNeil, David McNeil's wife and co-owner of the theater, said that she hopes people will not shy away from trying something different.
"Everybody seems happy when they leave," she said. "But it's hard to explain to somebody that doesn't know about it. You really have to see it for yourself."
