Cineplex plans to open its latest Playdium location at CF Fairview Mall in Toronto.
The entertainment and media company says the concept, which will feature mini golf, bowling, interactive games, attractions and fun food options, will open adjacent to the Cineplex Cinemas later this year.
It will be the fourth Playdium and the first one located beside a Cineplex. Other Playdiums are now open in Whitby and Brampton, Ontario, and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
“We’re combining the best in entertainment and fast-casual dining by opening a Playdium alongside our Cineplex Cinemas at CF Fairview Mall. Family and friends can come together for movies, gaming and delicious food, in a one stop shop for fun,” said Ellis Jacob, President and CEO, Cineplex.
“Leveraging our industry-leading expertise in entertainment, amusement gaming and food service, this newly announced Playdium location is sure to become a go-to destination for everyday fun, casual dining and special occasions.”
Kevin Watts, Executive Vice President of Exhibition and Location Based Entertainment for Cineplex, said the first Playdium opened in Brampton in September 2019. The first locations that are open are in free standing buildings located in other retail centres outside of a Cineplex.
“They don’t necessarily need to be attached or beside a theatre,” he said.
“The theatre at Fairview is on the upper level of the mall. The Playdium is right beside it but on the main mall level.
“Playdium is a place for people to come and play as the name would imply. We offer amusement gaming and redemption gaming. And it’s really targeting young adults, teens and families to come and play together and have some fun. We also have a casual food concept that we have there so people can grab a bite, grab a drink, to kind of recharge themselves while they’re playing games. And one of the things Playdiums are really known for are their birthday parties. We do lots and lots of birthday parties. People of all ages. It’s really a place for you to come, have some fun, play against your friends, play with your friends, grab a bite and just have a great day out.”
Watts said Playdiums range in size from about 20,000 to 40,000 square feet depending on the space. The one at Fairview will be about 20,000 square feet.
“In addition to a compelling retail mix, a key component of our shopping centre offering is providing engaging and entertaining experiences. We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with Cineplex to bring immersive premium entertainment options to CF Fairview Mall,” said Rory MacLeod, Executive Vice President, Operations, Cadillac Fairview.
Daryl Clemance, General Manager at CF Fairview Mall, said building and engaging experiences is really at the heart of the company’s business.
“It really adds to the overall experience of the property adding another entertainment component that really supports creating these engaging experiences for our customers,” he said.
“Shopping centres continue to evolve and CF Fairview Mall really is the true gathering place for our community. So we’re committed to developing engaging and inspirational programming that supports our community and gives them a reason to choose us in a competitive market. It’s very crucial to be adding this new component to the property.
“There’s so much choice out there right now that you can’t necessarily be everything but you do need to cater to your specific market and CF Fairview Mall has done. We’re certainly adding more entertainment giving people more reasons to come. Food, entertainment as well as an engaging retail mix that they’re looking for.”
Clemency said recently the Chow Tai Fook jewelry store opened at the mall as did Carter’s Oshkosh. Uniqlo will be opening in the next three to four weeks. Miniso is set to open in the next week or two. There’s also a fairly significant Zara expansion that will take place throughout 2024.
Watts said Cineplex has plans to launch more Playdiums in Canada.
“We are absolutely looking to grow out the Playdium concept across Canada. I think there’s a lot of opportunities and I can’t really get into too much details on the plans but we certainly see lots of opportunities across Canada,” he said.
“People want to get out and do things together in a social environment. We have three of these. We’ve got our Rec Room concept. We operate movie theatres. We just see millions and millions of people are looking to do things every day and so providing them with great concepts, great games, great food, we’re providing the set up for people to come in and socialize, be together. And that’s what we’re really seeing post-pandemic. People want to get back out and do things together. And these are great spaces to do that in.
“It’s a little different than going out to dinner because you’re being active. It’s engaging. It’s a great way to do something together and be active and be competitive.”
