Capitol Cinema 16 + ARQ — Attraction in Cheyenne

Great theater; avoid the owner.

So... I tried to see the Revenant. Throughout the first 30 minutes of the movie (and the trailers) I'd noticed that the front-left speaker would cut in and out. Also the center channel of the audio had a muddled, underwater quality. This made any dialog difficult to understand and it made the movie difficult to enjoy. And it wasn't just me. In the quiet gaps in the audio I was able to overhear more than one fellow moviegoer complain that they couldn't hear what was being said on the screen.

I went out to inform the nice young man behind the counter that there was a problem. It was shortly after that when Rob B, the owner of the Capital Stadium Theater, came out to tell me that I was wrong, that there were no audio issues. When I tried to explain the issues to Mr. B he interrupted me by loudly shushing me. Like I was a child. That's when I decided to just leave. But Mr. B* followed me, loudly and angrily, explaining that the speakers were NEW, that they had JUST been installed and that they were PERFECT! (Even though he had not taken the time necessary to verify my complaint.) He acted like he was doing me a big favor when he refunded my money. Then he told me to “get out of his theater.”

I really thought I was doing the right thing by letting him know that there was a problem. Mr. B, I guess, didn't see it that way. I have honestly never been treated so rudely by a business in my life. I really can't tell if the guy has a mental illness of some kind or if he's just a huge jerk. I know other people who have had similar problems with Rob B but, since he is a friend of a friend, I've always given him the benefit of the doubt. But this time it happened to me. To have a normal conversation go from zero to nasty so quickly makes we worry about Mr. B* and it makes me worry about my favorite theater. If he so casually mistreats his customers I can only imagine how he treats his poor employees.

Yes, I am angry. But, more than anything else, I'm deeply saddened by my encounter with Mr. B*. I have been a loyal patron of The Capital Stadium Theater since its opening night. I LOVED that place. To be so suddenly (and bizarrely) mistreated felt like being slapped in the face by a close friend.

The last thing Rob B* shouted at me as I left his establishment was, "I don't need your business! Go to the mall!" You got it Rob, you got it. I frequented The Capital Stadium Theater because it is a locally-owned business. But if the price of keeping my dollars in Cheyenne is dealing with that petty dictator of an owner then I'll gladly give my money to Carmike...

Terrible customer service! I have never been treated so disrespectfully by an employee (or in this case the ACTUAL owner). To give you a little background, I purchased my tickets online and, after showing up at the theater, sat down in what I thought were my seats. However, five minutes into the movie, a stressed out, aggressive, and impatient man (the owner), comes to my seat with a flashlight and says, "Show me your tickets!" Apparently, I failed to move fast enough because he continued to repeat the command - "Show me your tickets!" - in an aggressive and offensive tone. Finally, after I was able to produce my tickets, he proceeds to start counting seats and demanding that the couple next to us comply with the same instructions. After looking at all our tickets, he became confused because there was an overlap in our seats (two of us had a ticket for seat 10). He then proceeded to tell us to get up and follow him out of the theater. After leaving the theater in his confused and frantic state, the man finally figured out that we had accidently sat in the wrong row. At this point, he tried to "comfort" us by telling us it was okay and people sit in the wrong seats accidently all the time. This really rubbed me the wrong way because he acted like we were the only ones in the wrong. I will admit that we were in the wrong seats unintentionally; however, the way he treated us and the automatic accusation was off-putting. After he dragged us from the theater, I expected an apology, not an offer of forgiveness. I am not sure if he has a negative outlook on all of humanity, or if he simply thinks Cheyenne residents are trying to sneak into theaters and steal other customers' seats. If the owner treats customers this way, I do not even want to imagine how the employees who do not have a vested interest in the business treat people. So, if comfy seats are worth being harassed and missing part of the movie when the owner decides to drag you out and interrogate you, then go Capitol. However, you better pray to God that you do not accidently sit in the wrong place. If he had been respectful and asked, "Sir, may I please see your tickets? It looks like you may be sitting in the wrong seat," I would have had no issues. However, shining a light in my face and demanding, "Show me you tickets!" repeatedly is not the way to do business. Respect for others is an...

I used to love Capital Theater, but after our most recent experience, I’ll never return. My wife, sons, and I were made to feel like criminals over something as simple as carrying water bottles. An older man at the counter stopped my wife and told her she couldn’t bring in her water bottle. She complied, walking back to the car in frigid 20-degree weather, which was already inconvenient and unnecessary.

Then, this same man turned his attention to my son, asking him to open his coat, where he had a water bottle. At this point, I was deeply offended. The attitude this man displayed toward my son and family was completely unacceptable. When I questioned him, he made it clear that his only concern was ensuring we purchased their overpriced bottled water, rather than allowing us to bring in what we always carry.

I calmly tried to explain our position and pointed out how much we spend as members of this theater, but his reply was that he didn’t care. Let me repeat: He didn’t care. If this theater’s staff doesn’t care about their loyal customers, why should I spend my money here?

Despite complying with my request for a refund, this man refused to refund the full amount and kept $10. So essentially, I paid $10 for the privilege of being disrespected, treated like a criminal, and dealing with this man’s attitude.

Capital Theater may have been a favorite for my family of five, but after this experience, we’ll be going elsewhere—where our business is appreciated, and customers are treated with respect. There are plenty of theaters in Fort Collins offering superior experiences. I encourage others to think twice before supporting a business that allows staff to treat customers...