JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – San Marco’s iconic movie theater will permanently close its doors on Sunday after more than eight decades.
The San Marco Theatre made the announcement Wednesday morning in a social media post, saying the movie industry is too saturated with streaming services for it to survive.
“Dear Friends & Neighbors,
“After eighty-four and a half years, the San Marco Theatre will permanently close its doors on New Year’s Day. It’s with sad and heavy hearts that we share this news with our San Marco community and the city of Jacksonville. We all have a lot of memories of this place. We’ll miss it.
“The movie industry has seen dramatic changes since Covid. Theatrical release models for studios shifted primarily to streaming. The movie theatre business was not a very profitable endeavor before Covid. Now, when potential patrons are flooded with new releases on a dozen different streaming services it seems like the movie theatre experience is quickly going the way of Blockbuster Video.
“Nationally, theatre attendance is down over 30% compared to before Covid. The San Marco Theatre has fared the same. The San Marco Theatre occupies a warm place in a lot of people’s hearts, ours included. Thank you all so much for your patronage.”
There are still tickets available for showtimes through this weekend, and the final screening before the closure is at 3:30 p.m. Saturday — a showing of “How The Grinch Stole Christmas.”
Since it was built in 1938, the San Marco Theatre has been a Jacksonville staple. It was a longtime favorite for Russ Daley before he and his family moved.
“My wife and I used to walk there from the house, like, almost every weekend to see a movie and eat good food and just such an amazing experience to sit down at the table,” said Daley, who previously lived in San Marco.
The announcement of the San Marco Theatre’s closure comes after News4JAX news partner the Jacksonville Daily Record reported that the current property owner says it has not been given “final information” from the tenant.
Daley said that he went to see a film Tuesday night, he was told the theater would be closing its doors.
“I went to talk to them about the place and how nice it looks, and they’d renovated some things, and then they said they’re closing at the end of the year,” Daley said. “And it was just so sad.”
The Daily Record report goes on to quote the property owner as saying small movie theaters overall have struggled to regain traction in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with more people streaming movies at home.
Like most theaters, the San Marco Theatre closed in March 2020 but reopened in September 2021.
The theater closed again earlier this year and reopened in May following a round of renovations. It showed “Top Gun Maverick,” the sequel to the 1980s classic starring Tom Cruise.
New owners took over the business in 2019. Before that, David and Sue Blue ran it for more than two decades. When the couple announced the theatre was changing hands, they told News4JAX: “It is time for fresh new eyes to continue on and keep the San Marco Theatre going for another generation.”
Daley told News4JAX that he is disappointed.
“Really sad,” Daley said. “My son still lives here in Jacksonville, so I was looking forward to keeping on coming here, and it’s really disappointing.”
Other patrons were also upset about the closure announcement.
“Always enjoy the movie theater — it’s a quaint spot, and, you know, they serve drinks here, which is always fun, too,” said Ross Fanti. “So it’ll be sad to see it go.”
“I remember being a little kid and, you know, coming over here and going to the movies here,” said Tommy Murphy. “I mean, it’s more fun to go to movies here than, you know, having to drive out somewhere else and go to a big theater, and it’s just a cool experience.”
“There are not many theaters in Jacksonville as it is now, so the losing one in San Marco. I think that’s going to do terrible,” said Justin Roberts. “I don’t like it.”
The Daily Record also reports that the property owner says, even though the next move is unclear, one thing is certain, the building will not be demolished.
And the San Marco Theatre isn’t the only beloved local business that won’t be around in 2023.
Southern Roots Filling Station in Riverside is also set to close its doors after business hours on Saturday. The owners announced the closure on social media, citing uncertainty surrounding what could be a major increase in rent for the popular vegan restaurant.
