Wheaton's New Movie Theater Grand Opening Set for Late May

, a nine-screen, 1,120-seat movie theater and restaurant will open in Wheaton late next month, according to an SMG press release.

The theater will feature first-run movie showings in the 40,000-square-foot, former Linens 'N Things building at 301 Rice Lake Square.

Studio Movie Grill operates eight other locations in Texas, Georgia and Arizona, according to a Wheaton city staff memo. The Wheaton location will also include a lounge to accommodate about 36 people.

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Wheaton's Liquor Commission will meet Thursday night to discuss its recommendation to City Council regarding SMG's request for a liquor license. Studio Movie Grill is seeking a Class L license, a classification City Council approved in late 2011 to accommodate the proposed restaurant/movie theatre concept, according to the memo.

The theater chain will require all of its servers to have the proper state certifications and their Basset Alcohol Certification, according to the memo. According to its website, SMG is now hiring bartenders, servers, runners, box office and hostess positions.

Brian Schultz, founder, owner and president of Studio Movie Grill said in a statement, “We strategically selected Wheaton for SMG’s newest location because the area demonstrated a high demand for first-run movies and had an appealing demographic for the concept.  We felt that Wheaton was simply the perfect community for our next destination and we are committed to providing superior customer service and becoming its premier location for first-run movies. We believe Studio Movie Grill will become Chicagoland’s first choice for movie-watching because we offer both quality and value.”

City Council could vote on the license at its regular meeting Monday, Apr. 16. To read more about Studio Movie Grill, click to visit its website.