Beloved NJ movie theater is closing for good

In another casualty due, at least in part, to COVID, the Warner Theater in Ridgewood is going dark for good.

The venerable movie house first opened its doors in 1932 and has been a fixture in the town ever since. Bow Tie Partners acquired the theater in 2013, and its affiliate, Bow Tie Cinemas, has been managing its operations since.

The company said in a statement that the pandemic caused changes to the movie theater business, particularly in older venues, and the business is no longer viable at this location.

It is a very sad day for Ridgewood that this icon of the central business district has closed after almost 100 years of serving the community,” Ridgewood Mayor Paul Vagianos told TAPInto Ridgewood. “It has been such a central part of our downtown shopping center. We will miss it terribly.

There is some indication that the site will remain a performance space; according to CBS2 New York,

The village of Ridgewood, the residents, and Bow Tie Cinemas all hope that this will be turned into a performing arts center. That is the hope at this time. It's very early on in the process," Vagianos said.

We offer our sincere thanks and appreciation to all of our loyal customers who, over the past 11 years, have provided us the honor of hosting them at the movies in Ridgewood," Ben Moss, Owner of Bow Tie Partners said. "We are very much looking forward to remaining a part of the vibrant downtown Ridgewood business community and look forward to announcing our future plans when we have finished our analysis of alternative uses.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle only.

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