(STURGIS) - A long time source of entertainment in downtown Sturgis will be closing their doors for good on Wednesday.
The Strand Theater will be closing according to owner Eric Saitz. It's been owned by his family and Saitz has been employed at the theater for 42 years, starting back when he was a child taking tickets and cleaning up. He is the third generation of his family to own the Strand Theater.
In an interview with Swick Broadcasting, Saitz says one of the main reasons behind his decision to close down was due to the COVID 19 pandemic. He says the theater business has risen from troubled times in the past like the Phoenix. However during the pandemic he was closed for a year. Once he was able to open up, people just didn't come back. (LISTEN ABOVE).
Saitz says the writer's and actor's strikes also hurt the movie industry as theaters were not able to get product to show. And with so many ways for people to see movies now, Saitz says it's been difficult.
Some inquiries have been made about buying the building, but Saitz says he's not sure if it will stay a movie theater or not.
Saitz wants to thank everyone who has ever seen a movie at the Strand Theater over the years and wants them to know they hold a very special place in his heart.