Following a two-year, multimillion-dollar restoration and modernization, Houston's historic and beloved River Oaks Theatre will reopen Thursday.
The building had been shuttered for more than three years after a drawn-out dispute failed to resolve issues between Weingarten Realty, former landlord of the River Oaks Shopping Center, and the cinema operator, California's Landmark Theatre. Dozens of fans gathered in 2021 to protest the impending closure of the cinema, which had been a Houston fixture since 1939.
The theater at 2009 W. Gray St. is now owned by Kimco Realty and will reopen after a significant restoration and remodeling effort. Culinary Khancepts, a Houston-based restaurant group owned by Omar Khan, led the remodel and curated the full-service menu that will be served at the venue.
“We’ve carefully restored the theater’s iconic charm while seamlessly integrating modern technology and amenities, ensuring it will be enjoyed for generations to come,” Khan said in a news release.
The main auditorium on the first floor is equipped with two retractable screens, allowing for traditional movies, films scored by a live band, and other live performances and events, said Robert Saucedo, artistic director of River Oaks Theatre.
The main auditorium will seat 237 guests, while two smaller theaters upstairs seat 50 guests each. A private theater lounge that accommodates 20 guests can be rented out for private events, and the theater offers bars on both floors.
The developers modernized the theater while working to keep its historic charm intact, said Jason Ostrow, vice president of development for Culinary Khancepts.
“Everything behind the walls that you can’t see is new,” Ostrow said during a media tour of the building Tuesday. “Everything that you can see, we tried to preserve and restore as close as we could to the original condition.”
The cinema will show arthouse films, which have long been its signature, as well as beloved classics. The first screening on Thursday night will be of Joker: Folie à Deux.
