SARATOGA SPRINGS — Mimosas on the weekends, mozzarella sticks anytime, and custom-built oversized leather rocking seats are some of the innovations that Bow Tie Cinemas plans for downtown Saratoga Springs when it opens an 11-screen cinema late next spring.

The movie theaters will be the first in downtown Saratoga Springs since Community Theater on Broadway closed in 1980.

Bow Tie is already familiar with the Capital Region. It opened its first theater complex, Movieland, on State Street in downtown Schenectady in May 2007.

Bonacio Construction Inc. will build the Saratoga theaters on the site of the former Price Chopper supermarket on Railroad Place. Much of that building will be incorporated into the new complex, and a multistory, L-shaped structure will be built onto its front and north side, with the upper floors containing office space.

The $18 million project is in line for $956,653 in tax breaks, less than the $1.3 million developer Sonny Bonacio had sought from the Saratoga County Industrial Development Agency. Bonacio has already raised several multistory apartment buildings and condominiums farther south on both sides of Railroad Place. Price Chopper has opened a store in an apartment building Bonacio developed adjacent to the theater site.

The new theaters, to be called Criterion Cinemas 11, will include what Bow Tie calls a "BTX" — or Bow Tie Extreme — theater, with an oversize screen, digital surround sound and digital three-dimensional projection capabilities.

Criterion Cinemas 11 also will have a cafe where customers can purchase beer and wine before and after the movie. A state regulation prohibits consuming the beverages inside the theater.

Bow Tie, which is based in New York City, operates theaters in Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia and Colorado, as well as Movieland in Schenectady.

The new theaters, with a total of 770 seats, will be considerably smaller than the 1,200-seat Community Theater that closed more than 30 years ago.

BowTie will offer its Criterion Club Loyalty Rewards program, which rewards frequent visitors with free concessions, movie tickets and discounts.

The traditional popcorn will be sold at the concession stand, but so will mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders and French fries. On weekends, the theaters will have a "Movies and Mimosas" program featuring classic films and mimosas on Saturday and Sunday mornings. A party room for birthday parties and other events will also be available.

But there won't be any video games on site, theater officials said at a news conference in the old Price Chopper on Tuesday morning.

Bow Tie Cinemas is a four-generation family-owned business that was founded in 1900 with nickelodeon theaters and says it is the oldest theater operation in the nation. Including the Saratoga cinemas, the company operates 21 theaters with 169 screens.

eanderson@timesunion.com • 518-454-5323