Restaurant and extra screen plan for York’s Reel Cinema (From York Press)

Restaurant and extra screen plan for York’s Reel Cinema in Blossom Street

10:02am Saturday 5th September 2009 in News By Mike Laycock, Chief reporter

PLANS have been drawn up to open a restaurant at York’s Reel Cinema – and create an extra screen.

Cinema boss Kailash Suri says the Indian-style restaurant will be situated in the former ground floor shop, situated to the right of the entrance of the former Odeon, in Blossom Street.

He said the former manager’s office and living quarters directly above was set to be transformed into a small, 40-seat cinema – subject to the company receiving listed building consent from City of York Council for the necessary internal alterations.

Reel carried out a major refurbishment of the Blossom Street complex earlier this year, prior to the reopening in the summer, but kept the original format of two small screens downstairs and a huge auditorium upstairs.

Mr Suri originally considered creating two extra screens at a later date, but he said today he had decided instead on just one additional screen and a restaurant.

Architect Adrian McCay said the exterior appearance of the art deco building would be unaltered by the installation of the screen just behind the first floor windows.

He said permission had been granted by planners for the change of use to the restaurant, which would seat about 20-25 people and create ten full-time and part-time jobs.

He said the restaurant would serve meals to customers before or after visiting the cinema, but also cater for people coming straight in off the street.

Mr McCay said that the shop used to sell posters and other movie merchandise when the complex was owned by Odeon, but there was no longer demand for such products, while other items such as sweets were now sold in the foyer.

He said it was hoped that both the restaurant and extra screen would open by Christmas.

Meanwhile, Mr Suri has also revealed that he intends installing a 3D compatible screen in the big auditorium within the next three to six months. He said he was delighted with the response from the York public to the reopened cinema. “It’s been fantastic,” he said.