Post Falls movie theater closing

Julius Vichinsky, owner of the Post Falls movie theater, announced on the theater's Facebook page, that the theater is closing for good on Sunday.

Vichinsky claims a lack of community support, with Post Falls residents choosing Riverstone's theater over his, to be the reason for the closing. 

Dear Friends:

It is with a heavy hand and a sorrowed heart that I write this letter. This Sunday, January 29, 2012 Post Falls Theater will close. This property has been sold to a local church and the building will be converted for that purpose. Even though the sale of the building is the technical reason for closing there is one immutable truth in what brought us to this point. Our community that we have so generously supported throughout the years failed to support us in return. With the population of Post falls alone our business should have flourished. It would be easy to blame the economy but that is not the case. Harry Potter 7: P2 had sold in its opening week $170 million in ticket sales. We had 1 copy of the movie and did not sell out 1 showing while the Riverstone had multiple copies and was sold out for almost a week. Our ticket and concession prices were less expensive and our service has always been exceptional. The idea that our community members simply were not choosing us was solidified when a woman, who asked for a large cash donation for some needy Post Falls children to play in a city sport, had arrived to pick up the check and in passing told me how excited her kids were to see Harry Potter. I immediately offered her discounted group tickets for the movie and she replied "Oh no, we always go to Regal". We still made the donation. So much sacrifice has been made by all of us to bring you a family business in an industry dominated by the corporate world. For many years the ownership had funneled monies in excess of 250k into the business, personal money taken from themselves and their family, done so in the hope that things would change. Their personal commitment to Post Falls, in my witnessed opinion, is unmatched. They made the way for me to become the business man you know affording me every opportunity to do good in our community. They deserve not just my thanks but yours as well. On a more personal note (if possible) I feel very responsible for their financial losses over the years. I have said over and over that "I will never sacrifice the commitment to our community, the quality of our service or the caliber of our character, for profit." I was the one pleading on behalf of my community making claims that if we did more, gave more, sacrificed more, that our family business would be valued more. I was wrong. I can say with full honor that I love The Post Falls Theater; that I love Post Falls. LOVE. It's sad to me that that in spite of our love, loyalty and dedication to the residents of Post Falls and surrounding neighbors that the only value found in our theater was found in a cheap seat. Although there were many times I asked myself is this the best thing, I will never regret my time here. I have made so many great friends through the theater but most of all this is where I met my wife. As you know my wife and I are expecting our first child and she is due in 56 days making the closing of this business and my entrance into unemployment all the more difficult to swallow. I have often dreamed of the days when I would share the magic and my love for movies with her thinking how cool it would be for her to have dad who owned a movie theater. The idea that she could visit her daddy at work and know she was always welcome. To have the opportunity to teach her in my own business as I have taught so many of your kids who came to work for me. These dreams of mine, to me, are priceless and I will have them. I know my plan of how a business should be run will work once I find the right place to run it. I will open a discount cinema this year with the same commitment, values and honor that I have run this one with.

If you want it built here, prove it.

In closing please note that this weekend Friday, Saturday and Sunday we are offering half price concessions to sell off the product we have while its quality is still superb.

I will be there from opening to close each day checking tickets. That was the first job I had at this theater so many years ago and so it will be the last.

Thank you for your time. God bless us everyone.

Respectfully,

Julius Vichinsky

Post Falls Theater

"Your Locally Owned and Operated Movie Theater"