New movie theater opens on Van Ness Corridor in SF

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — It’s a new chapter for the Van Ness Corridor in San Francisco.

Apple Cinemas opened on Thursday at the former AMC theater — more than two years after another movie theater closed.

Apple Cinemas takes over seven floors of the historic building at 1000 Van Ness Avenue, and they’re not the only ones moving in. Grand Athletic Club will open a four-floor gym by end of summer.

“There’s so much opportunity for us to take this even further,” says Jessica Robitaille, Director of Operations at Apple Cinemas. “So yes, we’re opening as a movie theater, but it’s not just going to end there for us. We have big visions for the future too that I think will really bring people out.”

Eddie Martin, the General Manager of Tommy’s Joynt, is optimistic about the changes. Tommy’s is one of the few staples still open on Van Ness, after the six years of construction to create MUNI bus lines and the COVID-19 pandemic forced many businesses along the corridor to close.

“We would like to see more small businesses around here. Small businesses will drive more traffic into the neighborhood I believe and bring more people to move into the neighborhood. That would be great as well,” says Martin.

Watch the full report from KRON4’s Stephanie Rothman in the video player above.