CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO JACK HALL’S INTERVIEW WITH THOMAS ANDES
Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order to close down all theaters in Michigan took effect Monday afternoon.
Thomas Andes, the owner of the Thomas Theater Group in Marquette, Escanaba, and Quinnesec, says he got the call from the Michigan Department of Public Health Monday morning and is working under the assumption that the closure will be for two weeks.
“It’s an unfortunate situation,” Andes said. “I have a lot of employees. Over 100 employees in three locations over three counties. What we are doing right now is moving to come up with a two-week plan, a 30-day plan, and a 60-day plan, to make sure that our employees are provided for during that time. I don’t think most people understand that it takes a lot of employees to make a business go around. A lot of those employees are long-standing employees, hard-working employees who go above and beyond the normal call of duty on a day to day basis. My job as an employer is to make sure that they’re taken care of.”
Andes says the plan is to pay the employees even while the business is closed.
“We will come out of this, and everyone is going to be okay,” Andes said. “Our business is going to be okay, our industry is going to be okay. But right now, we’re in a situation where people are a little panicky. But me, as a local business owner, it’s my job to make sure that my employees are okay.”
He says the plan is to re-open on March 31st, but notes that if the coronavirus is spotted in one of the three U.P. counties where he has theaters, it could be a longer shutodwn.
When they do re-open, Andes says they’ll run some new movies at a reduced price for a time, as well as some second-run films.
