Work begins on cinema's Burger King extension

The work is part of a full refurbishment programme taking place at the Manchester Road cinema complex estimated to be costing in the region of £1.5m.

The revamp includes the redevelopment of the foyer, new seating, new side lights in the auditorium, a complete refitting of the toilets and new carpets and flooring throughout.

Manager Andrew White said it was an exciting time for the cinema and film-goers would be blown away by the improvements.

“Reel took over from Apollo three years ago so these changes have been in the pipeline for a while now.

“The reason it has taken so long to start the work is that Reel like to utilise profits made from each branch instead of borrowing the money from elsewhere.

“There is a lot of work needs doing but it is something we wanted to do in one job.

“The quality of the seating will put us up there in terms of comfort with any cinema in the country. Screen capacity will be reduced slightly because there is going to be more leg room but we wanted to make comfort a priority.”

Work on the cinema is expected to be completed by the summer while Burger King could be up-and-running in two months.

“There will obviously be some disruption while the work is ongoing but we will not be closing during this period. I would ask people looking to visit us, especially during the busy Easter period, to try and book tickets ahead so to alleviate pressure on staff while the redevelopment is being carried out.”

He added: “Although Burger King is technically going to be attached to the cinema it is going to be a standalone unit with its own entrance and exit. It is a welcome addition to the cinema.”

Burger King last served up a Whopper in Burnley town centre back in the early 90s before Skipton Building Society moved into its St James’s Street building.

There was also a Burger King restaurant situated on Barracks roundabout but that closed a number of years ago.