First year of Wynnum’s most anticipated development ever hindered by lockdowns

It was the development Brisbane’s bayside had waited more than 50 years for but three lockdowns in four months has hindered the first year of this suburb’s historic cinema.

It was meant to be the crown jewel in Wynnum’s rise back to relevance as an entertainment destination but three lockdowns in four months have significantly hindered the first year of arguably the suburb’s most anticipated development.

The long-awaited $8 million Wynnum Cinema from Majestic Cinemas and Berrima Develop Pty Ltd opened in March with baysiders rushing to catch the latest films in their own backyard for the first time in more than 50 years.

The Wynnum Cinema which opened its doors in March.

However Majestic Cinemas CEO Kieren Dell said having to close the doors so often during their first year had had devastating impacts on the business.

“The lockdowns have caused severe disruption to our patrons and our staff,” he said.

“Obviously, we cannot pivot to provide other services in this period, so we have no revenue for the period of any lockdown.

“This impacts us financially but also has a mental health impact on staff and patrons, who can’t relax at the movies.

Majestic Cinemas CEO Kieren Dell and Karen Gale at the launch in March.

“It’s extremely frustrating, this is the third lockdown we have endured, the first one being only four days after opening, and it makes it very hard to get any momentum.

“A new business always takes time to get traction and get to its potential, and it feels like each time we are locked down, usually as we have just gathered some momentum, we are locked down and lose the momentum and need to start again.”

Mr Dell said the current lockdown would have a major impact on the cinema even after restrictions were eased.

Majestic Cinemas CEO Kieren Dell speaking at the VIP launch of the cinema in March.

“We also have a range of big blockbusters releasing such as Jungle Cruise, The Suicide Squad and more which have been impacted and will not reach their potential audience even after reopening,” he said.

“We are also seeing film distributors reacting to lockdowns in NSW by moving film releases back, which has a major impact.

“We’ve managed by generally cutting our cloth to suit the situation and managed our bottom line and cashflow carefully to prevent financial loss.

The Wynnum Cinema which opened its doors in March.

“We’ve also moved quickly to adapt to any new requirements and continued to promote the great experience of coming to the movies to our patrons.”

The developer responsible for making the Wynnum Cinema a reality, Justin Ham, said he was confident the venue would bounce back quickly despite three lockdowns in four months.

Mr Dell said he looked forward to welcoming baysiders back to the cinema when they reopen and said locals could still support the business by signing up to their Movie Club or buying gift vouchers.