The Romeo Theatre will close in mid-September after 40 years, the movie theater announced in a post on its Facebook page.
The theater, 66120 Van Dyke Road in Washington Township, said in the post: “We had hoped our 40th year would be more celebratory, but we are grateful for the years we spent bringing entertainment to the community while staying true to our focus on family values.”
Messages were left with the theater Monday, Aug. 10, which is currently playing “Young Washington” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” both popular PG-13 movies.
Several factors are leading to the closure, according to the post, including a yearlong shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by actors’ and writers’ strikes, which “left us with limited film availability for the next 18 months. We worked hard to regain financial stability, but today’s economic realities have been too great for our small family theatre to overcome.”
It said that since the pandemic, moviegoers’ habits have shifted toward streaming and premium on-demand options, and the theater, along with others nationwide, experienced attendance declines.”The property owners have been exceptional stewards, helping keep us going this long. Even with their support, our business has not come close to returning to pre-COVID levels. We understand the property owners will have a new business that will take over our space after we depart, but it will no longer be a theatre,” according to the post.
“We deeply appreciate our customers, whose support has meant so much to us. Many have come to feel like family, and we are grateful for the wonderful people and families we have met over the years.”
The theater still has a few movies to show before it closes, according to the post.
“These are very difficult times for us right now, but perhaps someday we will pop up around the community with our popcorn machine, offering delicious Romeo Theatre Popcorn-To-Go,” it said.
Township Supervisor Sebastian “Sam” Previti was one of the hundreds of commenters, with people reminiscing about going to the theater, asking how they could help, talking about how they once worked there and how the theater will be missed in the community.
“The Romeo Theatre has been so much more than a movie theatre — it has been a part of the fabric of our community for 40 years,” Previti wrote. “You and your family have provided generations of local families with countless memories, first movies, date nights, family outings, and special moments. Your commitment to keeping the theatre family-oriented and serving our community through some incredibly difficult times deserves tremendous recognition.”
Previti added: “While we are heartbroken to see the theatre close, we are grateful for the memories and the positive impact you have made. Please know that your community is grateful. We wish you and your family nothing but the very best in whatever comes next—and I certainly hope we get to see that Romeo Theatre Popcorn-To-Go around town someday!”
Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @challreporter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Romeo Theatre announces pending closure in Facebook post
Reporting by Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
