Page 20 - 2022 Westchester County Economic Development Guide

One Million Strong Entertainment
Movie-Going in Westchester
Gets a New ‘Look’
Look Dine-In Cinemas founder Brian Schultz discusses his new luxury dine-in
theater concept, and why he chose Dobbs Ferry as its backdrop.
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT.
I first came across the concept for a dine-in theater in 1991. After earning degrees in finance and musical theater, I was working as an aide campaigning for United States Senator Arlen Spector and experienced my first movie theater restaurant in Bethesda, Maryland. It was love at first sight. I wrote a business plan during the campaign, which ultimately led to the launch of Studio Movie Grill. It was founded with one theater and great food and expanded to 450 screens at 39 locations nationwide. Unfortunately, we were ultimately no longer able to operate, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
COLLABORATING WITH
THE COMMUNITY.
When launching the concept of Look Dine-In Cinemas, I was guided by one question. ‘what’s next step for the future of movie going?’ In scouting locations nationwide, I reached out to local developers and real estate owners to see where we could be helpful in in revitalizing great downtowns that became quieter due to COVID. That’s
how we ended up in Dobbs Ferry. This community deserves a gathering place for great movies, dining and conversation, and so much more.
THEATERS AREN’T JUST ABOUT MOVIES ANYMORE. The idea is to move from a theater operation setting the time and curating the content, and instead curate to what the community needs and wants. We want to give our guests control. At Dobbs Ferry, we offer eight screening rooms and a restaurant facility. It’s a great special event and party space for events and conversations before and after a film. We rent out private rooms in a way that’s affordable and you can bring anything you’d like to have projected. We can livestream weddings, faith-based content, or state championship football. To help serve the business community, we are getting Zoom certification for video meetings and conferencing.
GUIDED BY ‘CONSCIOUS CAPITALISM’
We’ve always been great at grounding
our business in Conscious Capitalism, a system where all stakeholders win. This idea is deep rooted in how I always approached business, coming from humble beginnings. It’s about caring about the team and who is serving the guests. We look to create an environment where all team members enjoy and find meaning in their work and our top priority is that our staff makes a living wage. Lately, there has been a lot of talk about “The Great Resignation,” so clearly, it’s a concept whose time has come. Conscious capitalism isn’t always the easiest the path, but it’s the best path.
A WARM WELCOME TO WESTCHESTER
We have received a warm reception from the business community. And the Business Council of Westchester has been exceptional at every turn. They have advised me, helped us make connections, and attended meetings on our behalf. Marsha Gordon is quite a force – she was the tip of the spear for us on every front.
Look Cinemas Dobbs Ferry opened on February 10, 2022.
Top Left: Founder Brian Schultz (Center) is joined by BCW President and CEO Marsha Gordon (Center Right) and others at the Grand Opening of Look Cinemas Dobbs Ferry.
Above: Look Cinemas will offer video meeting and conferencing services.
© Courtesy of Look Dine-In Cinemas
© Courtesy of Look Dine-In Cinemas
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WESTCHESTER COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE