CARIBOU, Maine — Caribou’s movie theater was slated to close this winter but now the venue has new owners who are keeping the business local.
Mike and Pat Cyr of Limestone are purchasing The Caribou Theater from Arlen Dow. The couple announced on the theater’s Facebook page Monday that they will rename the space Big Bang Theater.
Dow said the sale will be official Wednesday. He did not disclose the purchase price.
With the new ownership, Caribou’s theater will be one of only two in Aroostook County. Dow owns The Braden Theater on Main Street in Presque Isle.
In February, Dow had said the theater would likely close due to rapidly declining ticket sales. It would have been the third movie theater to close in Aroostook this year.
The Century Theater in Fort Kent closed last winter and is trying to reopen with volunteers. The Temple Cinema in Houlton will shutter this June. Both theater owners said that streaming services had taken away most of their audiences.
Dow said the Cyrs reached out to him after reading his comments in a previous Bangor Daily News story.
“It will be good to have two theaters in the area,” Dow said. “I’m glad somebody bought [the Caribou theater] because I would’ve just closed it. I would’ve hated to see it go.”
The Caribou Theater is located on Sweden Street. Dow said he had decided to close Caribou because of the significantly lower ticket sales there than at The Braden in Presque Isle.
Pat Cyr said Tuesday that she and her husband are not ready to discuss their long-term plans for the theater, but they’re gearing up for a reopening Friday. The theater will be closed Wednesday and Thursday while the transfer of ownership is finalized.
On Facebook, the Cyrs announced plans to offer evening shows at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and 2 p.m. weekend matinees. Matinee and Wednesday evening tickets will be $6 for all ages. All other evening show tickets will be $8 for adults and $5 for children.
The Cyrs will keep the theater’s current movie line-up: “Fast X,” “The Little Mermaid” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.”
The Cyrs also own Mike’s Family Market in Limestone and two Caribou businesses: Mike’s Quik Stop on Route 1 and First Choice Deli & Market on Sweden Street.
