"Paseo Real has been a gathering place for 15 years, and that is entirely thanks to our dedicated team and the Carlsbad community that has supported us."
Luis Olloqui, CEO of Cinépolis USA, made that statement when the company announced it was closing its La Costa Paseo Real theater, as reported by the North Coast Current. The company said the theater would close at the end of October as its lease came to an end. Its final showtimes were set for the last days of the month, so by now the six-screen building at 6941 El Camino Real, near the Carlsbad City Library, has shown its last movie.
The 15 years in that quote cover only Cinépolis. People had been watching movies on this corner for about 35 years. The closure also ends something specific to this stretch of El Camino Real. Plaza Paseo Real was the one place in south Carlsbad where you could park once, eat dinner, and walk to a movie. That pairing has split in two. The screens are now at La Costa Town Square, about four miles away. The restaurants are still at Paseo Real, and for the first time since 1991 they don't have a movie theater bringing in the after-dinner crowd.
Thirty-Five Years on the Corner of Alga and El Camino
The building opened as a movie theater long before the recliners and in-seat waiter service arrived. According to the North Coast Current, the timeline went like this:
- November 1991: Opened as an Edwards Cinemas location at Alga Road and El Camino Real.
- 2001: Became an UltraStar Cinemas theater after Edwards filed for bankruptcy protection the year before. The Cinema Treasures entry for the theater gives 2004 for this change instead.
- About 2011 onward: Run by Cinépolis, which the company describes as 15 years of operation.
- Late October 2026: Scheduled to close as the lease ended.
By the end, the theater had cushy reclining leather seats, free parking, waiter service, and a bar, as the San Diego Union-Tribune described it. The Union-Tribune also reported that the last showing listed on the theater's website was "Wicker" at 7:45 p.m. on Oct. 29. The final date depends on which report you read. Cinépolis's announcement and the North Coast Current both gave Oct. 29. The Coast News, working from a notice sent to rewards members, reported Oct. 31. Either way, the closing fell in the last few days of October.
The company said affected employees would be offered transfers to nearby Cinépolis theaters. The Union-Tribune reported that after this closure, Cinépolis would have nine theaters in California.
What Plaza Paseo Real Still Has After Dark
The theater was only one tenant in the center, and the rest of the evening is still there. The Plaza Paseo Real store directory lists Black Rail Kitchen + Bar, Slice House by Tony Gimignani, Tomoyama Sushi, Notorious Sports Bar & Grill, Los Tacos, Tin Leaf Fresh Kitchen, Beach Plum Kitchen, and Jersey Mike's. Morning stops include Inglourious Bagels and La Costa Coffee Roasting. Black Rail is an American bar and grill, and its posted evening hours start at 4 p.m.
The center is also still adding businesses. The directory labels Club Pilates, Jersey Mike's, and Los Tacos as "New," although it doesn't give opening dates. The same directory still lists Cinépolis, so it hasn't caught up with the closure.
What goes into the six auditoriums next is still an open question. Neither the North Coast Current nor the Union-Tribune named a replacement tenant in its closure coverage. Vestar has managed Plaza Paseo Real since 2017, when the firm announced it had been retained for the center. Any plan for the space will most likely come through Vestar.
A large vacancy in La Costa doesn't always stay empty for long. Earlier this year, the former Gelson's at 7660 El Camino Real reopened as a Ralphs Fresh Fare, which the Union-Tribune covered in July. A grocery store is a different kind of space from a six-screen theater. Until someone announces a plan for Paseo Real, the center's evenings depend on its restaurants.
Where the Screens Are Now
Cinépolis named three nearby theaters that remain open: La Costa Town Square, Del Mar, and Vista. Gift card balances and rewards points carry over to its other theaters. The Coast News reported that the company told members their tier status would stay active as well. For La Costa, the closest of those is Town Square.
| Theater | Address | Screens | What's known |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinépolis La Costa Town Square | 3434 Via Mercato, Carlsbad 92009 | Eight | Opened Feb. 7, 2020, with 570 seats, reclining leather seats, waiter service to your seat, and an expanded bar and chef-driven menu |
| Regal Carlsbad | 2501 El Camino Real, Carlsbad 92008 | Not listed | Showtimes posted for late October 2026, with recliner seating |
| Cinépolis Del Mar and Cinépolis Vista | Outside Carlsbad | Not listed | Named by Cinépolis as staying open |
The Town Square details in that table come from its opening in 2020, when NBC 7 San Diego covered the debut. The Coast News still described it as an eight-screen theater this October. Check the Cinépolis La Costa Town Square page for current showtimes before you go.
The switch changes one thing about movie night. At Paseo Real, the theater shared a parking lot with a full row of dinner options. Town Square's main address is 3439 Via Montebello, and the center's leasing page lists Cinépolis as one of its major tenants. Food is close by there too. Fresh Monkee is at 3427 Via Montebello #174, but its posted hours end at 7 p.m. on weekdays and 5 p.m. on weekends, so it works better for a matinee than a late show. If you want a late dinner and a movie in the same center, your best bet is the theater's own menu and bar, which Cinépolis promoted as a main feature of the Town Square location when it opened.
You can still do dinner at Paseo Real and a movie at Town Square. It just takes a drive between the two.
The Drive Between the Two Centers
That four-mile drive runs along a road that's partly under construction. According to the City of Carlsbad's El Camino Real project page, the city has been widening the road in phases.
- The northbound segment from College Avenue to the Jackspar and Rancho Carlsbad drives was finished by June 2026.
- The segment from Poinsettia Lane to Camino Vida Roble started in May 2026 and is expected to take about a year. In the work zone, lanes may drop to one, the bike lane is temporarily closed, and the speed limit is 45 mph.
- The last segment, from Arenal Road to La Costa Avenue, is expected to start in early 2027. Plans call for another southbound lane, sidewalks, and two pedestrian bridges over San Marcos Creek.
The Poinsettia work is north of Paseo Real, so it mostly affects people coming down from central Carlsbad. The 2027 segment is the one to watch. Heading south on El Camino Real from Alga Road toward La Costa Avenue is one of the direct routes to Town Square, and that's exactly the stretch scheduled for construction next year. Rancho Santa Fe Road is another way to get there.
One Outdoor Screen on the December Calendar
The nearest scheduled screening to Paseo Real this winter is outdoors. The City of Carlsbad's Holiday at the Rancho is on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park, 6200 Flying Leo Carrillo Lane. The evening includes a tree lighting, crafts, train rides, Santa, and an outdoor holiday movie. Food and photos cost extra. The city hasn't named the film yet. The dated calendar entry says it starts at 6 p.m., but the city's general Holiday at the Rancho page says 6:15 p.m. Check the time closer to the date.
The ranch also hosts a summer series. The city's Leo Carrillo Ranch Film Festival page lists Friday-night screenings on Aug. 21, Aug. 28, and Sept. 4. Those dates are past for this season, so check that page for the next round.
From November through next summer, indoor movie nights in La Costa mean Town Square's eight screens, or Regal Carlsbad on the north end of El Camino Real.
Questions about how changes like this one, or the next tenant at Paseo Real, might affect your part of La Costa are what we talk about every day at Pagni Real Estate. Chad and Yo follow these centers closely and are happy to walk you through what's changing near your street. Schedule a free consultation, and we'll start with the corner of Alga and El Camino.
