The Regal Majestic Theater & IMAX in Downtown Silver Spring has applied for a beer, wine, and liquor license.
According to reports from Bethesda Magazine and The MoCo Show, the county’s Board of License Commissioners will review the application during a hearing at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday.
If the application is approved, the theater at 900 Ellsworth Drive would be Regal Cinemas’ first location in Maryland to offer alcohol.
Several theaters in Montgomery County currently sell alcohol, including the nearby AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in downtown Silver Spring, the AMC Theaters in Montgomery Mall and Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema in Bethesda, the AMC DINE-IN Rio Cinemas at Rio Lakefront and Cinépolis in Gaithersburg, and IPIC Theaters in North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose neighborhood.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of streaming services, many movie theaters nationwide have struggled with low ticket sales and have sought creative solutions to attract audiences and boost revenue. After two pandemic-era shutdowns, Regal Cinemas’ parent company, Cineworld, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023 and closed dozens of U.S. locations.
The Regal Majestic opened in 2004 and underwent renovations in 2017, adding reclining seats and updated fixtures.
Photo: © “IMG_5566a” by Elvert Barnes is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.