It's finally happening! The infamous movie theater in the Wichita Falls Sikes Senter Mall is getting the renovations and upgrades it has desperately needed for years.

It's the announcement we've all been waiting for ever since AMC acquired Carmike Cinemas in 2016. In early 2017 the Carmike logos at the Sikes Senter Mall theater were replaced with AMC logos. Of course, no major changes to the theater happened right away, but they did add two new digital fountain drink machines, which gave us a glimmer of hope that more changes are indeed on the way.

Today we reached out to the AMC corporate office and a member of their media relations department told us now that they are wrapping up the renovations of their original AMC theaters, they are ready to start remodeling the re-branded Carmike theaters.

AMC theater wichita falls remodel mall theater
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"We're improving the guest experience," said ACM Construction Manager Kerry Stanley. "We're taking some locations that were ready to be refreshed or ready to find some new energy and making them a much better experience for our guests."

According to AMC, some of the upgrades we can expect to see at the theater here in Wichita Falls include a general cosmetic remodel, AMC signature power reclining seats (hallelujah!), new screens and the latest audiovisual equipment, and a new concession stand with new and improved food and snack options.

Although adding the reserved recliner seating does lower the capacity of the theaters, it's definitely a smart move. "We sell more tickets with fewer seats because the customer experience is so superior to what it was before," Stanley said. On that same note, perhaps combining a couple of the smaller theaters at the mall into one bigger theater would be a good idea. Watching a movie in a tiny theater that looks more like a bowling alley is the worst.

An employee at the mall theater told us the renovations started about a month ago, and the AMC corporate office says they should be close to finishing this fall.

We are thrilled to see AMC breathing new life into the once dilapidated mall theater. It certainly has been a long time coming.


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