The Rec Room's big entertainment bet in St. John's makes sense, says business prof

At the Avalon Mall's biggest coming attraction, you can hunt zombies in three-dimensionalvirtual reality, or you can go 10-pin bowling before dinner and a movie.

CBC News got a behind-the-scenes look at the Rec Room on Thursday, months ahead of its expected opening in the spring.

"We really wanted to make sure that we had a totally immersive entertainment experience," said Christina Kuypers, vice-president of operations and guest experience for the Rec Room."This is a one-stop shop for fun. This is over 30,000 square feet of fun."

Occupying the space where theStarcadeused to be, the Rec Room will bring a restaurant, bowling alley, virtual reality, and stage for live performances.

There will be a variety of arcade-style games,Kuyperssaid, paid for by scannable wristbands loaded up with credits.

Long-term investment

The sizeable construction project at the mall coincides with a period ofof economic malaise in the province, butCineplex'sentertainment investment makes sense in the long term, argues Tom Cooper,an associate professor of business at Memorial University.

"When they make these decisions, they're not just making these decisions six or seven [months]or even a year out," he said.

"What they're looking foris, is this going to be a good proposition for them in the next fiveto 10 years, in terms of how people consume entertainment,how people engage in entertainment, and how people want their entertainment."

Cooper added the timing of the build gives skilled workers employment at a time when such work is scarcer than it was four to five years ago with Cineplex also benefiting from having an available labour pool, that comes at a cheaper cost than when construction was booming.

Entertainment and experience

The Rec Room will also featurelive entertainment each week, Kuypers said, ranging from live band karaoke to standup comedy, cabaret and trivia nights.

"It really depends on what's available in terms of local talent as well as what the local interest in," she said."We really try to dial into the local culture and offer something different."

Offering something different is crucial in the age of Netflix, said Cooper, when it's easy enough to stay at home and stream.Theatres have to push themselves to go beyond popcorn and lumpy seats.

"What we're seeing ismore a shift to what Iwould call the experiential," he said.

"It's more about a group, and what we like to do as a group. We liketo eat, we like to play games, we like to enjoy ourselves.So The Rec Room makes sense strategically from that standpoint."

The Rec Room is Cineplex's contribution to a mall overhaul in St. John's.

Crombie REIT, the company that owns the Avalon Mall,has launched the first two phases of renovationsto mall infrastructure, which cost more than $100 million combined.

Cineplex has five Rec Room locations across Canada, and will have nine by the time the St. John's location opens.

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