Movie Lounge changing name to Starlight Celebration and Events Center

A new sign may be going up, but the dining experience that has been a staple of Movie Lounge since opening nearly two years ago will go on, just under new branding.

According to General Manager Deborah Bowers, the changes at the Rogers Avenue establishment will allow the company to focus more on its growing events and banquet business while still operating the cinemas that offer meal service.

"The Movie Lounge will be associated with the theaters and cinema and Starlight Celebration and Events Center will be advertising all of our banquet space," she said.

Starlight Celebration and Events Center, she said, will incorporate the dining room and bar that had been under the Movie Lounge brand, as well as the banquet facilities that have been under the Epic Center branding.

As for why the company is re-branding itself, Bowers said it had to do with the growth the company had been seeing from large-scale events.

"Banquet space in this town is rather limited. And we've been enjoying growth with the Phoenix Expo Center having closed. There's not a lot of options. So we've spent a lot of time and money creating some beautiful banquet space," she said.

The Phoenix Expo Center was closed by its owner FSM Redevelopment Partners after what is now known as the Shared Services Center signed a long term lease for the facility.

Even though the name is changing, Bowers said the dining room at the Starlight Celebration and Events Center will still be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. She said the restaurant would be available for private rental on evenings it was closed.

Bowers also said as part of the rebranding, the company had hired Wes Daugherty as chef. Daugherty had previously been chef at 21 West End in downtown Fort Smith.