San Antonio-based Santikos Theaters on track to become 8th largest theater chain in North America
The company signed a definitive purchase agreement to acquire The Grand Theaters and AmStar Cinemas from VSS-Southern Theaters.
Boerne to host regional COVID-19 vaccination hub Friday
BOERNE, Texas โ UPDATE: The city of Boerne website reports there are no more appointments available for this event. (Original Story)The city of Boerne will host a COVID-19 vaccination hub Friday for 500 doses of the Moderna vaccine at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church. According to a news release, residents can register to reserve a vaccination slot on the city of Boerneโs website starting at 9 a.m. Wednesday. A link to the registration forms will be posted on the cityโs website and residents will have the option to switch to Spanish translation. View below a message from Handren to residents regarding the vaccination hub.
Rural Texas residents drive the distance for COVID-19 vaccines
Boerne Mayor Tim Handren said Kendall County received about 1,200 vaccines in early January, but they were used quickly. AdHandren says the state seems to give preference to hospitals, and Kendall County doesnโt have one. Itโs also about accessibility, and many in that community can drive to hubs like San Antonio for a vaccine. Kendall County will be receiving about 600 Moderna vaccines this week -- 400 for the city and 200 for the county. Yates says she got lucky taking a drive to San Antonio and getting a shot.
San Antonioโs Santikos Entertainment gets $50-million loan to ride out COVID-19 pandemic
SAN ANTONIO โ Editorโs note: This story was published through a partnership between the San Antonio Business Journal and KSAT. Santikos Entertainment has obtained a $50 million loan that puts the Alamo City-based owner of several movie theaters on firmer financial footing as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on. The loan โ facilitated by The Bank of San Antonio through the Federal Reserve Bankโs Main Street Lending Program โ will be used to pay off an existing private banking loan whose terms had become burdensome. Without the new loan, Santikos would have been forced to maximize its debt against other assets to maintain operations, CEO Tim Handren said. Read more on this story at the San Antonio Business Journal.
Holiday events in Boerne canceled due to coronavirus pandemic, mayor says
BOERNE, Texas โ City-sponsored holiday events in the city of Boerne wonโt happen this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. โAs stated from the beginning, we were hopeful to be able to hold our holiday events knowing that many look forward to them. The cancellation of the holiday events were โout of an abundance of caution,โ according to city officials. This also comes as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to increase across the nation and across Texas. The Hill Country Mile will be decorated and covered in festive lights, and outdoor holiday music will be playing on select weekends for residents to enjoy as they visit stores downtown.
โWeโre lucky,โ Santikos CEO says after Regal theaters announce closures
Regal Cinema, the second largest cinema chain in the nation announced Monday it is temporarily closing all of its U.S. theaters and some in the UK. Santikos Entertainment CEO Tim Handren told KSAT his theaters have suffered some blows, but nothing to that extent. Handren said out of the nine local Santikos theaters, seven are open to customers. The National Association of Theater Owners adopted our standards,โ Handren said. As for Regal Cinemas, the statement released Monday said the closures are temporary, but did not say anything about when the theaters might reopen.
Santikos: COVID-19 will make theaters โsupremely challenged to surviveโ
SAN ANTONIO โ Santikos Entertainment emailed loyalty members on Wednesday asking for help saying COVID-19 will make theaters โsupremely challenged to survive.โThe entertainment company said that the virus has limited capacity limits in buildings, and the entertainment industry at large is suffering from a lack of exposure overall with limited releases of new movies. โTo say it is frustrating would be an understatement,โ the company said to loyalty members in the email. The company said it has โworked for months to create safe physically distanced seating, implemented new sanitation policies and created health screening standards for customers.โDespite these efforts, the company is still challenged to survive the COVID-19 outbreak. โThe COVID-19 pandemic has put movie theaters like ours at risk of going dark for good,โ the email said. โFrom small independent screens to nationwide exhibitors, movie theaters employ over 150,000 people and have formed a cornerstone of the American experience for generations.โAdditionally, the email from Santikos urged loyalty members of the company to lobby Congress, urging representatives to take action to prevent the closure of theaters.
Kendall County, Boerne update health declaration, adding mask requirement for large retailers
BOERNE, Tx Kendall County and The City of Boerne announced that they have updated their emergency health declaration by adding mask requirements for large retailers on Tuesday. According to a press release from The City of Boerne, Mayor Tim Handren and Kendall County Judge Darrel Lux signed an addendum to previous emergency health declarations. The addendum mandates that the countys largest retailers establish a Health and Safety Policy, which will require customers to wear facial coverings where social distancing cannot be maintained. Handren and Lux said, in a city press release, that they have communicated with management at all the impacted retailers and they have said they will abide by the declaration. As of June 30, the Texas Department of Health and Human Services has reported 66 cases of COVID-19 in Kendall County, Handren said the virus low impact will not stop local leaders from preventing an increase.
Boerne City Lake will temporarily close on weekends and holidays, including July 4
BOERNE, Texas โ Boerne city leaders are hoping that temporarily closing Boerne City Lake on weekends and holidays will help reduce the spread of the coronavirus, according to a press release. The lake is expected to be closed June 27-28 and July 3-5 โbut will remain open during normal hours of operation during the week,โ the release states. Comal River tubing company temporarily shuts down due to increased COVID-19 cases in the areaBoerne Parks and Recreation also canceled the screening of Toy Story 4, set for this Friday, as part of its โMovie in the Parkโ series. Mayor Tim Handren and City Manager Ben Thatcher made the decision to cancel certain events and adjust days of operation at Boerne City Lake for everyoneโs โbest interest,โ according to the release. City of Boerne officials continue to ask everyone please continue to abide by CDC guidance to frequently wash your hands, maintain social distance and wear facial coverings when out in public.
Santikos Entertainment furloughs employees amid COVID-19 pandemic
SAN ANTONIO โ Santikos Entertainment announced earlier this week that it will furlough its employees as COVID-19 continues to spread across the city of San Antonio and the nation. Santikos theaters closed their doors on March 19 when the cityโs mandatory closure of non-essential businesses went into effect. Economic Security Act); however, businesses with more than 500 employees are not eligible, and Santikos employs more than 500 people. โI figure, if thatโs what I have to do to you all then thatโs what I have to do." COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019.
Boerne mayor connecting with constituents through social media
BOERNE, Texas โ Boerne Mayor Tim Handren has been using social media to stay in touch with his community during the coronavirus pandemic. โThereโs no playbook for this -- when you step into a role as mayor -- that says, 'Hereโs how you handle a COVID-19 situation,โ Handren said. He said the city had to decide to close Boerne City Lake Park because there were too many people gathering this past week. โTheyโre going out there to hang out together, and thatโs kind of not abiding by the principles that we are all setting.โAs of Tuesday, there are seven confirmed COVID-19 cases in Kendall County. That includes our county, our school districts, cities of Fair Oaks and Boerne.โCOVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019.
โItโs not a game:โ Boerne mayor passionately speaks out on importance of social distancing
BOERNE, Texas โ Boerne Mayor Tim Handren isnโt pulling any punches when it comes to addressing the public in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Handren took to Facebook Live Monday morning and seemed perplexed by the fact that some people still werenโt practicing social distancing. โThere are some people that frankly still donโt believe this is real, which I donโt get," Handren said. HANDREN LIVE: Mayor Tim Handren has an update on the situation in Boerne regarding COVID-19. Posted by City of Boerne - City Government on Monday, March 30, 2020COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019.
Boerne mayor adds restrictions with amendment to emergency declaration
BOERNE, Texas โ Boerne Mayor Tim Handren on Monday amended the cityโs public health emergency declaration to add more restrictions in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. According to a news release, Handren urges residents to stay home unless they are required to be at work providing essential services to the community. Essential services include law enforcement, medical services, banking services, food and supply services or essential communication services. The updated declaration will give public safety teams more enforcement ability. This is the third time the declaration has been amended and it comes as San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg is considering more restrictions for businesses, as well.
Santikos opening new โstate-of-the-artโ theater in San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO โ Santikos just announced plans to open a new theater on the North Side. Santikos announces new theater on far northwest side of San AntonioSantikos puts 100% of the companyโs profits back into the community through the San Antonio Area Foundation. โJohn Santikosโ vision was to have his businesses grow and continue operating for the benefit of the community.โSantikos announced the opening of its 10th theater in November. SAโs newest dine-in movie theater Flix Brewhouse announces opening date, dealsSantikos Galaxy Theater on San Antonioโs Northeast Side reopened on Nov. 22 after an extensive remodel. The goal is to carry on John Santikosโ legacy and make an impact in our community,โ said Handren.
Santikos announces new theater on far northwest side of San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO โ Locally based Santikos Entertainment will open its 10th theater in the San Antonio area. The movie theater chain said construction on the new theater will begin soon near Interstate 10 and Boerne Stage Road. Santikos Galaxy Theater to reopen after extensive remodelingThe theater will include 10-12 auditoriums โwith a few of those showcasing our premier large format AVX version,โ Andrew Brooks, executive director of marketing and sales, said. The Galaxy Theater originally opened in 1979. Construction at the Boerne Stage Crossing Shopping Center is underway in this Nov. 15, 2019, photo.