The Cape Girardeau City Council approved an ordinance Monday that would set the stage for Marcus Theatres’ Cape West Cine to offer alcoholic beverages.

The ordinance adds movie theaters to its list of businesses such as sports complexes, golf courses and bowling alleys that can offer alcoholic beverages to adult customers while still letting in those who are younger than 21.

The measure would allow such beverages at movie theaters if liquor sales account for less than 50 percent of its income, city manager Scott Meyer said before the council meeting.

In other action, the council extended the moratorium banning the use of shipping containers as building materials for another 90 days.

At its study session before the regular meeting, the council said it would seek to fill the soon-to-be-vacant Ward 6 council seat at its Aug. 21 meeting.

Marcus Theatres, based in Milwaukee, wants to serve alcoholic beverages as part of a remodel of the Cape Girardeau movie theater, Meyer said.

In an agenda report to the council, Meyer wrote the theater owner believes a remodeling and addition of alcoholic beverages will “make this building and operation sustainable for many years into the future.”

Meyer said, “The police department had no concerns regarding the request.”

The council approved first reading on a 5-1 vote, with Ward 3 Councilman Victor Gunn casting the dissenting vote. Ward 6 Councilman Wayne Bowen was absent.

Gunn said after the meeting he doesn’t believe alcohol should be sold at the theater.

Gunn, who spent 25 years in law enforcement, said he dealt with many drunken people.

Gunn said a “family-friendly venue” such as the movie theater is “not an appropriate place” for selling alcoholic beverages.

The councilman said he doesn’t want drunken customers to disrupt the showing of a movie. He predicted police will have to deal with drunken moviegoers.

Final approval is expected at the council’s July 24 meeting.

This isn’t the first time the Cape Girardeau cinema has looked at the idea of selling alcoholic beverages.

When Wehrenberg Theatres owned the Cape Girardeau movie theater, it proposed offering beer and wine to its adult customers in 2008. But it later withdrew its liquor-license request over concern city regulations at that time would have prevented people younger than 18 from entering the cinema.

A spokeswoman for Marcus Theatres told the Southeast Missourian on Monday the company is not ready to share any other details about possible changes to Cape West Cine or the timetable for offering alcoholic beverages.

Mari Randa, the company’s director of communications, said in an email the company looks forward to “working with the community.”

Randa wrote, “After we understand the final decision, we’ll be able to share additional details.”

Marcus Theaters owns or operates 895 movie screens at 69 locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and Ohio, according to Randa.

“Currently, about 30 or so Marcus Theatres offer some type of adult beverages for guests of legal drinking age,” Randa wrote in an email to the Southeast Missourian.

“The moviegoing experience has changed over the years and has become more of a complete night out for many of our guests,” she said.

“Adding food and beverage options all under one roof provides guests an added convenience and allows them to personalize their night out,” she wrote. “That’s exactly what we are trying to offer our guests — one-stop, all-inclusive dining and entertainment.”

Randa said some of their theaters provide the option of a glass of beer or wine to go with a meal or snack.

At the company’s theater locations that feature a Take Five Lounge or a Zaffiro’s Restaurant, full-service bar offerings are available, according to Randa.

Randa wrote guests can enjoy the complete menu before, during and after a movie.

She said “both food and beverages may also be enjoyed in all theatre auditoriums to add to the moviegoing experience.”

Randa said Marcus Theatres has many controls in place to prevent underage drinking.

“It starts with extensive training and is carried through procedures related to asking for ID; not allowing multi-drink orders without guests available to show ID; and limiting the number of drinks ordered — one drink per ID,” she said in the email.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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