ABOVE: The movie theater in Fairmont will be re-opening in the next few weeks under new ownership and with a new name: Fairmont 5 Theatres. Sentinel file photo.

FAIRMONT– After more than two years, Fairmont’s movie theater is going to re-open. The new operator says they’re on track to open in the next week or two.

Rob Mayer also operates the Milford Pioneer Theatre in Milford, Iowa, which is where he’s from.

“We’re not very far away in Milford and I was under the impression the (Fairmont) theater was going to re-open so didn’t really pay much attention to it. Once I found out those plans were not proceeding, I just reached out to Cathy (Reynolds) and she put me in touch with the building’s owner,” Mayer said.

He said since then everything has moved quickly. Mayer said he looked at the size of the market, the condition of the building and the past performance of the theater and worked with the landlord to come up with a plan that works.

“The bottom line is it has to make sense. We don’t want the theater just hanging around. We want it to be thriving and doing well,” Mayer said.

The owner and the city want the same thing.

“We were excited to hear the interest in opening up the theater in town. We know this is something the community has been anxiously awaiting since the closure due to Covid. We can’t wait to see the community come out and support the new theater operators,” said City Administrator Cathy Reynolds.

Mayer said he and his business partner, Tom Struthers, have decided to rename the theater Fairmont 5 Theatres.

“We believe that the theater is a unique asset to the community and belongs more to the community than a chain. We’ll treat it like it’s its own theater and operate it that way,” Mayer said.

Since having possession of the building, Mayer said there’s been a long checklist of tasks that started with general cleanliness of the facility, including carpets, floors, walls and seats.

One exciting addition he’s planning to bring is reclining seats. Mayer said they’d like to eventually replace all seats with reclining seats.

“That’s where we’re headed but it can’t happen for a few months because it takes awhile to manufacture those,” he explained.

However, in the meantime some big movies are coming out, including Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Mayer said he wants people in Fairmont and the surrounding communities to be able to see them locally without driving to Milford or Mankato.

He plans to open one or two theaters initially but the long-term plan is to have all five theaters open, though it will take about two to four weeks per theater to remodel.

“We want people to be able to see the progress. If they come in to see a movie one week and come back a few weeks later they should see that things are different,” Mayer said.

As for concessions, people can expect to see the classics like popcorn, pop and candy but Mayer said they’re looking to add beer and wine down the line, though it involves a licensing process.

“We will start that process as soon as we’re able to,” he said.

The plan is to have Fairmont 5 Theatres open seven days a week. It will likely open at 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 3 p.m. on Fridays. On the weekends it will open at noon.

Mayer said they’re looking to hire about 10 part-time staff members and a part-time general manager. People can apply for a job through the theater’s website, fairmont5.com. That’s also the best place to find updates on the progress of the theater.

Mayer is looking forward to brining a theater back into the community and so far he said that idea has been well-received.

“Everybody I’ve worked with so far has been a pleasure to work with. The cleaning and plumbing services, the people we’ve worked with have been enthusiastic. We’re not new to the area but we’re new to Fairmont and to be welcomed like that is fantastic,” Mayer said.