Cinema owners plan a revival
MURWILLUMBAH'S historic Regent Cinema is undergoing a facelift following a buyout from a syndicate of local people dedicated to making it a thriving theatre as well as place to dine or grab a coffee.
The cinema opened in 1947 and is undergoing a facelift until Friday week - the day before the school holidays. Then it is due to burst back to life with a showing of The Smurfs along with new cafe facilities.
New owner and former real estate office worker Sheraden Robins, her brother Anthony and long-time community volunteer Sandra Flannery have taken over the cinema with plans to reinvigorate the business and offer more movie titles by switching from old-fashioned movie reels to digital disks in the next few months.
The cinema has been temporarily closed while the new cafe and coffee facilities are built in a rare show of confidence in a town where 14 small businesses have closed or relocated in the past year.
"Our balcony is the jewel in the crown," said Mrs Robins stepping onto the first floor outdoor terrace of the art-deco building on the corner of Brisbane and Wollumbin streets.
