While many couples across the country will be hitting movie theaters for date night on Valentine’s Day, other couples, like Colleen and Bill Barstow in Elkhorn, Neb., [pictured above] or Andrew and Juanita Thomas in Houston, will be making sure the projectors are running smoothly and the popcorn is fresh — just as they do every night.
They’re not the only ones. Yahoo Entertainment talked to several couples across the country who have become theater owners in their respective communities, revitalizing silver screens and giving locals a place to connect.
For many of them, getting into the movie business was a decision they never planned.
“Some people come into this industry where they love the gears of a projector or they have the love affair with movies. And while [Colleen and I] certainly had that,” Bill told Yahoo Entertainment, “nothing in our background would prepare us for this.”
That said, none of the couples could imagine it any other way, and they have relished the vital roles they’ve played in their communities.
Meet the four couples who shifted their careers to become local theater owners.
