May 21, 2020

West Mall 7 is reopening Friday with a limited schedule of movies and reduced capacity in its theaters.

The theater in the Western Mall has been closed since March 24 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When you return to the movies, you’ll find that we’ve put many new protocols in place for the health and safety of both you and our employees,” the theater said in a statement.

Seating will be at 40 percent of capacity to allow extra social distancing between groups, and the time between screenings in a theater has been tripled “to allow for a thorough auditorium cleaning and armrest disinfecting.”

Showtimes are being staggered to reduce the number of customers entering at one time, and moviegoers can buy tickets and concession packages online.

Additional safety measures can be found on the West Mall 7’s website.

As a new offering, private showings also can be scheduled for families or small groups, the theater announced. For $100, up to 40 people can watch any movie that’s being offered. Details for booking are on the website.

Cinemark, which operates Century Theaters in Sioux Falls, is working to reopen its theaters in midsummer.