The battle for Central Florida residents' entertainment dollars just went luxury with the 2015 debut of the Cinepolis IMAX in Polk County.
The nine-screen theater opened in May and by all accounts is drawing locals and tourists at a steady pace.
[WEB EXTRA: Extended interview ]
It is located at Posner Park on U.S. 27 at the Interstate 4 interchange roughly 45 minutes from Orlando.
According to Cinepolis, it is built on the foundation of a Belk department store that closed in 2011, just two years after opening.
Cinepolis Cinemas regional manager Mike Reed says the company provides "A special experience… from full bar to an enhanced menu, ranging from chicken fingers to flatbread pizza.
"We have a little bit of everything for everybody," he says.
Add a full bar, which is a first for a theater in East Polk County and you understand the complex goes beyond popcorn and soda.
Food and beverage aside , the high tech theater is designed to wow movie fans with eight standard auditoriums , comfortable seats and an impressive 284 seat IMAX theater.
A UK tourist stopped Reed as he was showing us around to rave about the theater and the seats: "Your theater is absolutely fabulous he said, your seats are absolutely great we don't have anything like that in the U.K. where they lean back, come over change the system."
Reed responded, " We may see you soon."
"We like to think we are very progressive in what we do, we are in a partnership with IMAX to bring first run movies to the area."
Reed says the company has exceeded expectations in Polk County and has already opened a fourth venue in Jupiter, Florida.
The company is family owned with a global reach In places like India, South America and Latin America.
Reed says the company started in Mexico and set it's sights on the U.S market in July 2011 opening in Del Mar, California.
Since that initial investment Cinepolis added six more theaters in the Southern California market , four in Florida and in the next few years the company hopes to have a total of 25 theaters in the United States.
"People are still coming to the theater," Reed says,"if you really want to have the true experience of going out to the movies watching an IMAX feature, bringing the family, it's a great value."
For more information about the Polk County or Jupiter locations go to cinepolisusa.com