Viewers disappointed in ending of Carolina Mall Cinema

CONCORD, N.C. — It’s officially “the end” for the Carolina Mall Cinema in Concord.

The theater shared that it’s closing for good on social media earlier this week and offered no other explanation. Channel 9’s Hannah Goetz talked with some of the many heartbroken moviegoers as the credits roll on this community staple.

After the Carolina Mall Cinema announced it was closing for good seemingly out of nowhere this week, the only thing coming soon is the question from the community wondering why.

“I’ve been going there for years, years. My wife, years,” one shopper said.

“My grandson, he just has memories from there, and just having to break the news to him is going to be really tough.”

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Generations of memories were made here. Now the lights are off, and the message is clear. The Carolina Mall Cinema is permanently closed.

It feels like the end of an era to many in the community, like Tammy Biggerstaff, who remembers the first movies she saw here.

“‘Star Wars,’ ‘Grease,’” Biggerstaff said. “That was the place we all went on the weekends.”

Besides the memories, the concessions and prices were also a staple.

“[I remember] the popcorn, popcorn, and the tickets being perfect.”

Now all that’s left is a single kernel of popcorn, empty marquees and one big question: Why?

We took that question to General Manager Bryan Smith via email and phone on Thursday but weren’t able to reach him.

“Hey, this is Bryan Smith. I’m sorry I missed your call,” a voicemail message said.

The grief looks different for everyone. Some people are paying their respects; others are trying to stop the closure. A Change.org petition named “Save Carolina Mall Theater” has more than 900 signatures.

It’s proof that this one hits hard for the Concord community.

“I wish we could go back in time, just only for just one day, and take our grandkids and let them just see what it used to be like, but it’ll never happen.”

Box offices around the country have recently made a big comeback, with more people returning to the movies. According to recent data, Hollywood just reported its best summer in a decade, raking in $4.6 billion in domestic ticket sales.