An article in The Buffalo News on January 24, 2012 features the Palace Theatre, a family theatre on the main street in the business district of Hamburg, New York. Hamburg residents prefer to attend the local Palace Theatre than drive to the mega movie houses in nearby malls. First, it is less expensive. Adults pay only $5.50 to come in; a small popcorn is only $2.00. You can walk to the theatre if you live in the village. The movies are recent releases; the current film being shown is “The Adventures of Tin Tin.”
The Palace has been in existence since 1926. It is one of only five single-screen movie houses left in western New York. Owner Jay Ruof, a long-time movie buff, owned a video production business in the same building which holds the Palace Theatre and worked at the Palace as a projectionist. When the theatre went up for sale in 2008, Jay Ruof decided to be its new owner. For four years, he has made sure that the community’s love for the Palace has continued.
Ruof knew that the Palace Theatre would not make him a millionaire. Any small business today is a challenge. However, he has been able to make some improvements to the theatre, including refurbishing the marquee partly through a grant from the state. Air conditioning and the sewage system have been upgraded also. He hopes to replace the theatre’s 600 seats to the tune of $90,000 but that will have to wait.
On a typical Saturday afternoon, the Palace will have about 40 patrons. Ruof holds periodic film festivals, such as The Three Stooges, which will bring in 200 people of all ages. This past summer, all 600 seats were filled when the Palace showed “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″ on the very day it premiered in western New York. However, owner Jay Ruof says that such a day is stressful. 600 people may want to use the rest room, buy popcorn, spill drinks and leave litter.
Nevertheless, all patrons leave the Palace Theatre with a smile. It is an adventure, a look back in time, a singular experience which cannot be duplicated in the movie houses at the nearby malls. Jay Ruof is a hero to the people of Hamburg who cherish their traditions and love the small-town ambience that sets the town of Hamburg apart.
Source:
Personal experience
http://www.buffalonews.com/city/columns/bruce-andriatch/article715376.ece