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The Alameda Theatre & Cineplex, a 1932 Timothy Pflueger-designed Art Deco movie theater, is shown on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.<\/p>\n
G. Allen Johnson\/San Francisco Chronicle<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
But the multiplex\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about providing a joyful experience for everybody in a safe environment,\u201d said owner Kyle Conner, who rebuilt and reopened the eight-screen theater in 2008<\/a>. \u201cRegal (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\u2019s being brought in. It\u2019s more about the safety of everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Reaction was swift after the theater posted the new restrictions on Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Above the illustration is an ominous warning: \u201cWe Reserve the Right to SEARCH Any Bag at Any Time.\u201d 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).<\/p>\n San Francisco Chronicle Logo<\/p>\n Make us a Preferred Source to get more of our news when you search.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The post has generated more than 130 comments across the two platforms as of Wednesday afternoon, April 8, and many didn\u2019t hold back.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd people wonder why theatre attendance plummeted post covid. You treat your ‘guests’ like the TSA does,\u201d posted Charles Finley, referring to the Transportation Security Administration, which handles security screenings at airports.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s next? Pat down searches?\u201d asked Artie Cortez, who identifies himself as an Alameda native.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The comments led the Alameda theater at 2317 Central Ave. to post a clarification on Monday, April 6, that assured customers \u201cthis 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.\u201d<\/p>\n The Alameda Theatre reopened after a long closure, and is the centerpiece for a downtown revival in the city.<\/p>\n Peter Hartlaub\/The Chronicle<\/p>\n Conner noted the new policy is, in part, tied to the theater\u2019s 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\u2019s main house, which seats 630, as a larger space.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n 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 Macram\u00e9, a Bay Area-based Fleetwood Mac tribute band, scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday, April 10.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want people to be aware that they can\u2019t bring backpacks in, and that\u2019s common for concerts,\u201d said Conner, who plans to host up to two big concerts a month for now in the main house. \u201cThe misunderstanding is that that bag check policy is for all of our movies as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, the bag check policy posted on the theater\u2019s website and on its social media accounts does not make a distinction between moviegoers and concertgoers.<\/p>\n That means the backpack worn by Linda Guti\u00e9rrez, who brought her 4-year-old daughter Vida to see \u201cThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie<\/a>\u201d on Tuesday, April 7, would not be allowed under the policy. The stuffed Mario doll carried by Vida, however, was OK.<\/p>\n Guti\u00e9rrez had not heard of the policy as of Tuesday, but noted she was not reprimanded or searched.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cI, as a parent, feel it should have a little more leniency based on like, if it\u2019s a children\u2019s movie. Not all parents want their kids having the unhealthier snacks, so just more flexibility there,\u201d said the Alameda resident, who explained her backpack contained \u201ctoddler snacks\u201d for Vida. \u201cBut in the bigger picture of all things, for safety and whatnot, I understand.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n G. Allen Johnson\/San Francisco Chronicle<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re rolling it out slowly,\u201d Stroud said. \u201cWe\u2019ve just been telling people the things that we normally tell them: no outside food, no big bags. That\u2019s it.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOn concert days it\u2019ll be a little stricter.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the theater, a symbol of Alameda\u2019s downtown renaissance in the past two decades, is basking in the North American box office\u2019s best start to the year since the pandemic.<\/p>\n Films such as \u201cGoat,\u201d produced by Golden State Warriors<\/a> star Stephen Curry<\/a>, Pixar\u2019s \u201cHoppers<\/a>,\u201d \u201cProject Hail Mary<\/a>\u201d and, of course, \u201cThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie\u201d have been packing the auditoriums.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I\u2019ve learned by living here for the last 20 years is people don\u2019t want to leave the island,\u201d Conner said. \u201cSo we\u2019re providing an entertainment facility that allows them to stay on the island. We\u2019re trying to be as diverse as we can in what we offer at this theater, and the theater\u2019s thriving.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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