High-end SWFL movie theater to close

Mercato, a high-end lifestyle mall in north Naples, is losing its movie theater, Silverspot Cinema.

Silverspot, in an announcement on its website, says its last day of showing movies will be July 23. The Miami-based company, which lists six other locations on its website, including one in Miami and one Coconut Creek, offered little in a reason why it was closing. 

“It is with mixed emotions that we share this news,” the note on the website states. “After 14 incredible years of bringing you the best in cinema, we must bid you farewell. … Before we close our doors, we invite you to seize the opportunity to enjoy our fantastic lineup of movies one last time.”

The page also includes a Q&A for gift cards and rewards points. 

Silverspot was a go-to spot in Naples for a decade, helping to bring in an elevated movie concept with high-end dining, an enhanced interior design and concierge services. It hosted the Naples International Film Festival and was a key draw for customers to stay and shop at the Mercato when it opened in 2009. 

Speculation on social media and in several Naples news reports has Austin-based movie theater chain Alamo Drafthouse Cinema replacing Silverspot. Officials with the Texas movie theater chain — it would be its first Florida location, according to its website — didn’t return calls or emails sent late July 14 for comment. A spokesperson for North American Properties, which manages Mercato, declined to comment on Alamo or any other potential replacement tenant in a July 16 email to the Business Observer in response to questions about the space. 

“Silverspot Cinema’s lease is expiring and after 14 enjoyable years, we have mutually agreed to part ways," the spokesperson says in the note. "We are grateful for the community’s support of the cinema and look forward to setting the next scene.”