The Alameda Theatre & Cineplex, a 1932 Timothy Pflueger-designed Art Deco movie theater, is shown on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
G. Allen Johnson/San Francisco Chronicle
A new bag policy at the Alameda Theatre & Cineplex has sparked backlash from moviegoers who fear airport-style security could come to their neighborhood theater.
But the multiplex’s management team told the Chronicle that will not be the case at the historic 1932 Timothy Pflueger-designed Art Deco venue, despite a new bag policy posted to its social media accounts.
“It’s about providing a joyful experience for everybody in a safe environment,” said owner Kyle Conner, who rebuilt and reopened the eight-screen theater in 2008. “Regal (Cinemas) has a bag-check policy. AMC (Theatres) has a bag check policy. Every theater has some sort of policy to allow some control over what’s being brought in. It’s more about the safety of everybody.”
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Reaction was swift after the theater posted the new restrictions on Facebook and Instagram on Sunday, April 5, with a drawing detailing the three types of bags it will allow in the theater: A clear, see-through bag no larger than 14 by 6 by 14 inches; a medium personal item bag, no larger than 10 by 10 by 4 inches, such as a purse; or a diaper bag as long as a child is present.
Above the illustration is an ominous warning: “We Reserve the Right to SEARCH Any Bag at Any Time.” It also emphasizes that no outside food or drinks are allowed, but reusable water bottles are OK as long as they are empty (they can be filled at the water fountain or concession stand).
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The post has generated more than 130 comments across the two platforms as of Wednesday afternoon, April 8, and many didn’t hold back.
“And people wonder why theatre attendance plummeted post covid. You treat your ‘guests’ like the TSA does,” posted Charles Finley, referring to the Transportation Security Administration, which handles security screenings at airports.
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“What’s next? Pat down searches?” asked Artie Cortez, who identifies himself as an Alameda native.
Others brought up practical matters such as bags needed for medicine, foods for special diets or the desire not to leave valuables inside a parked car.
The comments led the Alameda theater at 2317 Central Ave. to post a clarification on Monday, April 6, that assured customers “this policy does not mean there will be a TSA-style security setup, a bag check station, or that every guest will have every bag searched. It also does not mean that ADA, medical, or other reasonable accommodations cannot be made.”
The Alameda Theatre reopened after a long closure, and is the centerpiece for a downtown revival in the city.
Peter Hartlaub/The Chronicle
Conner noted the new policy is, in part, tied to the theater’s attempt to establish itself as a viable music and live performance venue. Music acts have been common at the Cinema Grill, a small restaurant connected to the theater, but Conner and his team have recently been using the theater’s main house, which seats 630, as a larger space.
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Last month, the theater hosted Super Diamond, a San Francisco-based Neil Diamond tribute band. Conner said he wanted to emphasize the new bag policy ahead of a performance by Fleetwood Macramé, a Bay Area-based Fleetwood Mac tribute band, scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday, April 10.
“We want people to be aware that they can’t bring backpacks in, and that’s common for concerts,” said Conner, who plans to host up to two big concerts a month for now in the main house. “The misunderstanding is that that bag check policy is for all of our movies as well.”
Still, the bag check policy posted on the theater’s website and on its social media accounts does not make a distinction between moviegoers and concertgoers.
That means the backpack worn by Linda Gutiérrez, who brought her 4-year-old daughter Vida to see “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” on Tuesday, April 7, would not be allowed under the policy. The stuffed Mario doll carried by Vida, however, was OK.
Gutiérrez had not heard of the policy as of Tuesday, but noted she was not reprimanded or searched.
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“I, as a parent, feel it should have a little more leniency based on like, if it’s a children’s movie. Not all parents want their kids having the unhealthier snacks, so just more flexibility there,” said the Alameda resident, who explained her backpack contained “toddler snacks” for Vida. “But in the bigger picture of all things, for safety and whatnot, I understand.”
The lobby and concession stand of the Alameda Theatre & Cineplex, a 1932 Timothy Pflueger-designed Art Deco movie theater, is shown on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
G. Allen Johnson/San Francisco Chronicle
Cameron Stroud, a manager at the theater, confirmed that no one has had a bag searched or been turned away since the policy was posted.
“We’re rolling it out slowly,” Stroud said. “We’ve just been telling people the things that we normally tell them: no outside food, no big bags. That’s it.
“On concert days it’ll be a little stricter.”
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Meanwhile, the theater, a symbol of Alameda’s downtown renaissance in the past two decades, is basking in the North American box office’s best start to the year since the pandemic.
Films such as “Goat,” produced by Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, Pixar’s “Hoppers,” “Project Hail Mary” and, of course, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” have been packing the auditoriums.
“What I’ve learned by living here for the last 20 years is people don’t want to leave the island,” Conner said. “So we’re providing an entertainment facility that allows them to stay on the island. We’re trying to be as diverse as we can in what we offer at this theater, and the theater’s thriving.”