Cineplex said Edmonton’s first The Rec Room has been well-received and now the entertainment company is opening a second location in the city.
“The launch of The Rec Room at South Edmonton Common has truly surpassed our expectations and we love the idea that with our West Edmonton Mall location we’ll have a strong foothold in the Edmonton community,” Ellis Jacob, President and CEO at Cineplex, said.
The company opened its two-level, 60,000 square foot flagship location in south Edmonton in fall 2016, and at the time was in the process of opening smaller but similar entertainment venues in Calgary and Toronto.
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On Thursday, Cineplex announced the second Edmonton venue and a location in London, Ont., as well.
“With so much to offer both our local guests and tourists, The Rec Room will be right at home at the most comprehensive retail, hospitality and entertainment complex in the world,” West Edmonton Mall CEO David Ghermezian said.
The facility promotes itself as Canada’s premier “eats & entertainment” destination, bringing together dining, games, and live entertainment all under one roof. There is a sports bar and three eateries: a full sit-down restaurant, a wood-fired pizzeria, and a poutine and doughnut shop.
In addition to a large arcade designed by a former Playdium employee, the south Edmonton location also has bowling, ax throwing, ping pong, billiards, a race car simulator and a virtual reality experience.
The southside venue is fully licensed and open until 2 a.m. each weekend, offering adults an alternative to the bar scene.
Cineplex said the WEM location will have all the same features as the South Common location.
READ MORE: Cineplex to launch new entertainment complex in South Edmonton Common
Cineplex plans to open between 10 and 15 new locations of The Rec Room over the coming years, each ranging in size from 30,000 to 60,000 square feet and customized to the individual community.
The massive, often two-storey entertainment complexes will see half of the space being devoted to dining and live entertainment and the other half being devoted to amusement games and feature attractions.
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Cineplex is headquartered in Toronto and operates 164 movie theatres across Canada.