What Hollywood Boulevard Has in Store

An expanded lobby, a new Chinese restaurant and a new movie screen -- that's what patrons of Hollywood Boulevard have to look forward to when the theater unveils its new addition next month.

Construction began in the spring with the new addition of the expanded lobby.

Angelique Barthel, the director of marketing and public relations of Hollywood Cinemas, said the decision to expand the lobby was made after customers mentioned the close space and the need for more room.

 "We are really excited to bring the change because they (the customers) are the ones who asked for it," Barthel said.

Barthel said the new screen will feature a tribute to Charlie Chaplin and the silent film era. The room is decorated with silvers and grays -- much like the historic silver screen. The Charlie Chaplin auditorium will be the eleventh auditorium at Hollywood Boulevard.

Formosa Café on Hollywood Boulevard is the new authentic Asian restaurant that will open in a month. Barthel said the menu will offer native Chinese cuisine. "It's going to be a different menu than what people are use too," she said.

Formosa Café features 300-year-old Asian artifacts. Chinese temple and palace doors will be used as table tops, and decorative Chinese corbels will be used as arches around the doorways.

Some movie-goers weren't sure about the Asian theme.

Mike Jahnke, of Downers Grove, said he didn't plan on going to the Chinese restaurant. He said he wasn't sure how it would fit into the overall theme of the theater.

Berwyn resident Kim Zahrobsky travels all the way to Woodridge to go to Hollywood Boulevard. After seeing the construction, she hopes the new look doesn't take away the classic Hollywood theme.   

"I want it to still have its charm, because it's not a traditional theater ," Zahrobsky said.

Ted Bulthaup, owner of Hollywood Boulevard, said the addition offers his patrons more movies and more space for his collection of movie memorabilia.

"First and foremost, it allows more movies to play here...and with the upgrade we are able to install a 3-D screen," he said. "We had so many celebrities over the years and we have all their photographs, so it would be nice to put them on display so the public can see."