The Edge 8 is under new management, but very little will change for moviegoers accustomed to the Edge experience.

In fact, according to Phoenix Theatres Entertainment president and CEO Phil Zacheretti, they can expect a number of improvements to that experience in the months ahead.

“We are the country’s largest management theater company, so we were hired by the owners out of Texas to manage the Edge 8,” Zacheretti said.

“We are not partners with them.  We did not buy the company, the building or the business.  We simply were hired to come in as a professional management company, to help update it a little bit and to use some of our experience and connections from film bookings, concession buying and a lot of the business side of it.  So we are, in a word, the new management company for the theater.”

The Edge 8, now rebranded as the Phoenix Theatres Edge 8, is in the middle of a revitalization phase that will manifest in both quality of life improvements to the viewing experience and the facility itself.

“We immediately put in a new point of sale system, and what that did was allow credit cards to process properly and to avoid issues with the system,” Zacheretti said.  “It was an older system, and they had trouble from time to time.

“That also allowed us to add a loyalty program, which you can sign up for free to get points for every dollar you spend at the theater.  And you’ll get rewards, such as free soft drinks, popcorn or movie tickets, and again, there’s no charge for that.  Simply use it every time you come and you’ll automatically get free food and free tickets.”

In addition to the points system and loyalty program, it also allows the theater to sell gift cards instead of the older method of using gift certificates. Customers can now buy any dollar amount to put onto a card, and it will never expire.

In the months ahead, the theater will also expand its menu to include hotdogs and soft pretzels.

“We’re going to continue to look at expanding, but not in a big way,” Zacheretti said.

“Nationwide, you hear a lot of things in bigger cities, but the vast majority of all theater sales are still popcorn and cokes.  So we added a few things that we have at other locations that might add a little variety for someone, especially someone coming in who missed a meal and may be hungry for a little more than a snack.”

As for the building itself, many of the digital menu boards inside of the theater will be repaired or replaced, and some electrical issues plaguing the lighting situation outside the facility will also be addressed.

In addition to retaining 100 percent of the original Edge 8 staff, Zacheretti said that the improvements being made to the experience are indicative of the fact that the theater is undergoing enhancements rather than full-on change.

“I’ve been in the business 41 years, and I come from a town about the size of Greenville,” Zacheretti said. “To have a theater that looks like that in a town the size of Greenville is phenomenal. They could’ve gotten away with building it a lot cheaper, but they put a lot of money in it.  But it’s time to spruce it up, do some repairs, add some things and make it even better for the customers.”