Boxoffice-May. 1999

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SHOWCANADA EXTRA: Exhibition Profile
GUZZO'S GUSTO
Tlie Quebec-Based Indie Chain Celebrates
25 Years With Grand Plans for the Future
by Shlomo Schwartzberg
which obligated us to leave more legroom,
else you couldn't walk in or out of the ais
That, then, resulted in having more comf
seating-wise and more comfort leg-wise [in
46-inch space. This was back when everybc
was still building in 17- and 1 8-inch wide se*!
and 36- to 39-inch leg room seats. 1
"The other thing we've done in the lab
theatres we're building is we've put a lot mc
emphasis on the entertainment versus the fo
aspect," continues Guzzo. "I know some ol i
PONT-IHCATION: Guzzo's Pont-Viau 16 in Laval, Quebec plays a mix of Hollywood and domestic films.
Cinemas Guzzo is turning 25 on May 14,
a milestone that occurs just as the Quebec-based
company begins its
largest
expansion ever. But first, let's go back to the
beginning.
"In 1974, we bought a [single-screen theatre]
with 1,000-odd seats, and then a couple of
years later, when there was
a time of subdividing, we
split that into a three-plex,"
says the circuit's executive
vice president Vince
Guzzo. "We gradually
moved on from there; we
opened four-plexes and so
forth. We restructured a
couple of years back and
got rid of some of the theatres
that didn't fit in with
the new concept of movie
theao-es, and now we're
building [up to] 25-, 26- and 28-[plexes]. In '98
[webuilt]alO-[plex],a 16andan 18.And[this
year], we have a 14, a 15 and a 16."
The 14-plex opens on May 14—the exact
date ofCinemas Guzzo's 25 anniversary. The
theatre will be located in Ville St. Laurent, a
''We've emphasized the
entertainment.
We've put in a Venetian
merry-go-round, a kiddie
park, bumper cars,
arcade rooms— the
whole concept is that
you can go in and have
fun versus go in and
eat your brains out."
city located on the Island of Montreal and
populated by about 125,000 people. "That
theatre was supposed to be opened on the 21*''
the [original] opening date of 'Star Wars—^The
Phantom Menace,' says Guzzo. "But we
brought it up a week so it would coincide
with our 25'
anniversary."
Along with the goal of
expansion, the circuit has
a specific philosophy in
mind, insists 30-year-old
Guzzo, who has for a decade
been involved in the
theatre chain founded by
his father, Angelo Guzzo,
the company's president.
"Every time we speak
about movie theatres, everybody
speaks about
comfort. One of the things
that I've seen is there's
been an evolution in the manufacturing of
seats, [but] nobody seems to have upgraded it
to the level we have. In the early 1990s we
started building eight-plexes, and we would
put in 24-inch wide seats. The seats would
remain open instead of being closed seats.
competitors have gone crazy putting in [s]
cialty]
concessions. Those are things peo]
can have elsewhere, so we haven't yet restn
tured that aspect, [as we think] that's not wl
would get you to come to our theatres vers
another theatre.
"What we have done is we've emphasizi
the entertainment. We've put in
a VenetiJ
merry-go-round, a kiddie park, bumper ca
arcade rooms—the whole concept is that y(
can go in and have fun versus go in and e
your brains out."
The theatre screens that Cinemas Guz:
builds exceed expectations as well. "Most
the screens range between 37 feet wide
about 45. The biggest one is 49 feet wid
We've gone the maximum that makes sens
We've gone in with larger screens witho
sacrificing the quality of the projection.
"One of the things we've always had is tl
utmost respect for our customers. I think one i
the key elements of our success is the respect v
give the people who come into our theatres."
Guzzo executive VP Vince Guzzo (left) witti his
father, Guzzo president Angelo Guzzo.
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