By Andrea Stevens
AFRO Staff Writer
astevens@afro.com
The newly opened Pikes Studio Cinema is drawing crowds and excitement with its blend of modern amenities, community focus and cinematic charm.
The theater recently opened in Woodholme Shopping Center, making the return of big-screen entertainment to the area. Located just off Reisterstown Road, the space offers a fresh take on moviegoing with state-of-the-art projection and sound systems, luxury seating and a menu that includes gourmet snacks and locally sourced refreshments.
“Pikesville is a very integrated community. This is familiar ground for me. I live a mile and a half from here, and I actually walk to the theater,” said Michael Eugene Johnson, the theater owner. “The community has been welcoming and supportive, and we plan to be here a little longer.”
The theater features two cinemas with 245-seat auditoriums, leather reclining chairs, big screens and digital surround sound. They also allow independent vendors to set up in the lobby to sell their products as a sign of support and opportunity to other small business owners.
The Pikes Theater is not Johnson’s first venture into the theater industry. He has owned several in the past.
“I owned three theaters in Baltimore—on Taylor Avenue, 25th Street and North Avenue—about 25 years ago. I left the business in 2004, went into city government and corporate America,” he said. “When this opportunity came up, I initially said no, but eventually decided to come back and give it a try.”
To keep things interesting, they focus on themed weeks to draw in their patrons. Moviegoers can submit requests for what they would like to see through the theater’s website.
“For Juneteenth and Black Music Month, we’re screening films like ‘Purple Rain,’ ‘Porgy and Bess,’ and ‘Amazing Grace’,” said Johnson. “By doing theme-driven weeks, we’re able to change our movies and give people a heads-up on what’s coming. This approach helps us offer variety and engage different audiences.”
To further offer community engagement and unity, Johnson partners with surrounding restaurants and allows customers that dine with them to bring their food into the theater.
“We have restaurant partnerships. Customers can bring in food from approved places, and we get a small revenue share,” he said. “We also offer rentals for children’s birthday parties, where guests can pick their own movie. It’s become one of our most successful services.”
To expand on these efforts, the theater also provides weekly free screenings and is developing new cultural programs aimed at making film more accessible and engaging for the local community.
“Every Wednesday we show a free movie,” said Johnson. “We get a large number of senior citizens and people from the neighborhood. It’s an escape for them. We’re also working on launching our own film festival in September.”