After several weeks of dark, empty rooms and shuttered doors, the ACX Theater at the Bayshore Mall in Glendale is closing permanently.
The closure affects the theater, arcade, bowling alley and Backlot Pizza + Kitchen bar and restaurant, according to an Oct. 6 news release from Bayshore management sent to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The announcement comes after the ACX Entertainment Center has been “temporarily closed due to an electrical issue” for several weeks, according to notices seen taped to the doors dating back to at least Sept. 4. During that time, theater’s website has had no showings available, though it continued to advertise movies set to release during that time.
Bayshore ownership has decided to reclaim the space due to the theater’s management company, Omaha-based ACX Cinemas, not upholding the terms of its lease, according to the release. Bayshore said its management has previously made good-faith efforts to support the theater’s long-term success.
“We remain committed to providing a vibrant, fun and welcoming destination and invite our guests to continue to enjoy our variety of retail and restaurants,” according to Bayshore management’s statement. “We are always exploring opportunities to bring new and exciting experiences to Bayshore and look forward to sharing future updates.”
In a statement provided to the Journal Sentinel on Oct. 6, ACX Cinemas said operating at the Bayshore Mall building has presented ongoing challenges the company was unable to overcome with the landlord.
“We periodically review our locations and the surrounding market conditions to ensure we’re providing the best experience for our guests,” the statement read. “This decision reflects broader business realities — including the lingering effects of the theater industry’s recovery, evolving consumer behavior, and today’s challenging economic environment.
“We’re proud of the experiences we provided to our guests at Bayshore and remain focused on continuing to strengthen our other locations, where performance remains strong and momentum is building for the years ahead,” according to the statement.
The theater opened in late 2023 and was the first new movie theater to open in the Milwaukee area since 2019. The center was built into the former iPic Entertainment space in Bayshore’s rotunda at 5750 N. Bayshore Drive after the iPic theater closed in 2018.
ACX Cinemas has seven total locations in Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin, according to the company’s website. These other locations all still have showings listed online.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Contact Claudia Levens at clevens@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @levensc13.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: ACX Theater at Bayshore Mall to close, along with Backlot Pizza, bowling alley and arcade
Reporting by Claudia Levens, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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