The remodeled Kaysville Theater reopens Friday, with new decor, restrooms, seats, snack bar and admission prices. Only the main movie auditorium is opening - two additional smaller auditoriums are still being constructed and aren't expected to open until May.
The Theater closed for remodeling the first week of December last year."The building is totally redecorated and refurbished," said Bill Call, owner.
The main theater now seats about 260, somewhat fewer that the number it used to seat. However, Call said, the smaller auditoriums will seat about 125 each and, once they open, there will be space for more than 500 patrons, about 200 more than the theater could handle. The restrooms have been greatly expanded and made accessible to the handicapped as well.
The theater, the only one in Kaysville, was able to expand by taking over two vacant retail spaces. Call also owned the dollar theater in Roy, but expansion by a grocery chain forced him to close that theater last year. It has now been replaced by a parking lot for the new store, but the sale did provide him with the money to refinance the expansion and remodeling for the Kaysville Theater.
"Kaysville City has been really cooperative with us," Call said. "The City Council and everyone has been very patient during our remodeling."
Call said another major change will be an increase in prices. The theater will now charge $1.50 per person, age 2 and up before 6 p.m. and $2 after 6 p.m.
"If you look around Salt Lake, most of the `dollar theaters' have already gone up in price," Call said, noting he believes the disappearance of dollar movie theaters is an economic trend, though one multiscreen Salt Lake theater chain has recently reduced prices for all movies to $1 at its Trolley Square Theaters. The chain's Trolley Family Theaters also has $1 admission.
Call said his theaters had held the line on the $1 admission price for 15 years and an increase is long overdue. He also stressed even though the admission prices have increased, the snack bar prices will remain the same. A free refill popcorn bucket will still sell for $2.
Friday's offering at the theater will include"An American Tail: Fievel Goes West" at 5:15 p.m., and "My Girl" at 7 and 8:40 p.m. These are not double features and separate admission prices will be charged.
On Saturday, the theater will play "Fievel" at noon, 1:45, 3:30 and 5:15 p.m. and "My Girl" at 7 and 8:40 p.m.
"Fievel" will play Monday at 5:15, with "My Girl" at 7 and 8:40 p.m. The Tuesday to Thursday schedule will feature "Fievel" at 7 p.m. and "My Girl" at 8:40 p.m. The theater will still be closed Sundays.
Call said he's not sure how the theater will work its summer schedule, especially since some nearby Davis County schools are on a year-round schedule.
"We'll see how it goes," he said, stressing the flexibility of the main auditorium.
He also said some changes made in the theater won't be visible to patrons but they make the building a lot safer, and he said the Kaysville Fire Department will now be able to rest a lot easier.
The theater's aging sign out front will be replaced by May, and Call said the slogan of "Davis County's Finest Theater" will disappear.
"We inherited that sign when we bought the building," Call said.