ATLANTA — One of Atlanta's oldest movie theaters is closing its doors after over 50 years in business.
This week, Regal Cinemas announced that it would officially be shutting down the Regal Tara, located on Cheshire Bridge Road.
The theater itself has been open since the late 60s, bouncing around different owners. It currently serves as one of only three operating arthouse cinemas in Atlanta, alongside The Plaza and Midtown Arts Cinema.
Cineworld, Regal's parent company, filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. earlier this year, according to a report from the AP back in September.
The theater industry as a whole struggled throughout the global pandemic, and even though a handful of big-budget blockbusters have brought crowds back to the cinema, many smaller "arthouse" theaters have a continued to have trouble reeling in audiences.
A spokesperson for Regal forwarded a statement from the theater chain on the Tara's closing, reading:
“As part of our real estate optimization strategy, Regal has made the decision to close our Regal Tara theatre as we continue to position our company for long-term growth. We are working to support our employees through this transition, and we thank them for helping to make us the ‘Best Place to Watch a Movie.’
The company also noted that this does not mean that any of its other Atlanta theaters - such as the one at Atlantic Station, the Regal Hollywood N-I85, or Regal Perimeter Pointe are closing as well.
Regal did not provide an exact date for when the Tara will shut its doors.