RIO GRANDE – With the opening of Cape Square Entertainment, movies have finally come back to Rio Grande.
The new theater and entertainment complex is the largest of its kind south of Atlantic City. It features 16 bowling lanes, eight movie screens, an arcade, two restaurants and bars, a golfing simulator, and an outdoor beer garden, all of which is open year-round.
Long-time residents will remember Frank Theaters, a theater chain that went bankrupt just before the pandemic began. Cape Square takes the bones of that old theater and transforms the place into something vibrant and exciting.
Clint Bunting, the CEO of Town Square Entertainment, took the Herald on a tour of the new space. He pointed to many details that elevate the feeling of the building from a standard movie theater to a high-end entertainment space, without the high-end pricing. “The details were really important to us,” he told the Herald.
He pointed to the many extravagant chandeliers that are found in every section of the building. “Each space has its own theme, and each set of chandeliers that match that theme.”
The casual dining area, with a bar and fresh pizza, is filled with chandeliers that look like palm leaves and tiki torches. The arcade is aglow with neon lights from the game cabinets, and blue light that shine down from fixtures that resemble sea anemones and jellyfish.
“We didn’t want to spare any expense,” Clint said to the Herald. “We wanted people to feel like they are getting a high-end experience here, even if they usually can’t afford something like that.”
Clint stressed that this project has been a long-time coming.
Though Cape Square Entertainment opened its doors in the middle of July, the project has been underway for over four years. The project nearly fell through several times during its development. “But the county really wanted us to be here,” Clint said.
The project, a partnership between Town Square Entertainment and Cape May County, was envisioned as a hub that would breathe new life into the commercial sector of Rio Grande.
“This is economic development for the whole county,” Bunting said. “We see ourselves as stewards of this space. It excites me to be able to provide this for people who might not otherwise be able to afford a high-end experience on the shore. We want that for everybody,” he said, “and I don’t think the county expected us to do as good of a job as we did.”
That “good job” is evident. Clint showed us the new bowling lanes, which feature above-ground ball return: a more expensive, but far cooler, alternative to standard underground ball returns. The arcade is full of real games, like the colossal Space Invaders Frenzy, that provide value for money spent instead of tempting you to gamble.
The movie screens themselves are state-of-the art. All eight screens have laser projectors and 7.1 surround sound. The biggest screen in the building is 58 feet, seats over 250 people, and features Dolby Atmos sound. It is even bigger than the flagship screen at Harbor Square Theater in Stone Harbor.
“I hope people enjoy this space year-round,” Clint said.
Cape Square Entertainment is now open. Visit the new entertainment complex at 3801 US-9 in Rio Grande. You can book movie tickets in advance via the theater’s website.
Cape Square Entertainment
3801 US-9, Rio Grande
squaretheatres.com
609-830-3566
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