Tri-Boro Cinema Closed?

posted by BollywoodFlick on November 7, 2005 at 8:24 am

NORTH ATTLEBORO, MA — Does anybody know what is happening with Tri-Boro Cinema in N Attleboro?

I heard they closed the door on labor day.

Comments (14)

JoeBanks
JoeBanks on November 8, 2005 at 8:06 am

I used to work for Boston Concessions Group. They now own Entertainment (Honk!) Cinemas. They bought the Tri-Boro from the old owners of Entertainment Cinemas in a package deal. I guess that they decided that it was drowning and decided to cut their losses. I almost got roped into running that place too. Whew!

BollywoodFlick
BollywoodFlick on November 8, 2005 at 8:28 am

Do you have any contact details for Tri-Boro. I am interested in running or owning.

Roland L.
Roland L. on November 8, 2005 at 8:21 pm

Wow! While the Tri-Boro certainly wasn’t leading edge or had fancy decor, it was very well known.

I haven’t been there in about 8 years but I had gone there rather steady in the late 70’s.

There was a guy named Jimmy, tall, slightly balding that ran or managed the place at nights. He also worked the Bld. 2 cafetera at Texas Instruments.

Excellent parking, decent prices but not mainstream or visible from the road.

Sad, I really liked this place.

chummer
chummer on January 24, 2006 at 11:40 am

Tri-Boro cinemas did indeed close on Labor Day weekend, 2005. I worked there for 14 years. 13 and a half as Assistant Manager, 6 months as Manager. I left October 2004. I was working full time at my families' Assisted Living Facility and also working full time at TBC. The DM for Boston Culinary Group said I had to choose between working at TBC or working with my mom at the assisted Living Facility..easy choice for me..Family first. Once I left in October, they went through a few different managers, none who really did much to keep the place clean. When I worked there we always knew BCG would never spend any money on the building, but we always kept it clean. Once people stopped going because it was so dirty, ticket sales went downhill from there and the decision was made to close it.
TriBoro was always owned by BCG, it was never owned by Entertainment Cinemas. BCG bought other theatres that Entertainment Cinemas owned.
Jim Quinn (tall, slightly balding that ran or managed the place at nights. He also worked the Bld. 2 cafetera at Texas Instruments)
retired from TBC around 1987/1988. He actually hired me as an Assistant Manger. I was the last assistant manger that he ever hired.
I’m not sure who the Manager was before Jim Quinn was there, but after Jim retired it was Paul Moran, then David Fuller and then myself before it closed less then a year after I left.
I took some pics before I left, as soon as i figure how to post them, i will.

Roland L.
Roland L. on January 24, 2006 at 8:19 pm

Chummer, thanks for the info on Jim Quinn. I saw him daily at Texas Instruments. He was one heck of a worker and he was always great to me and his customers.

It really is a shame what happened to this theater because it had all the right stuff to keep going provided a few dollars were destined for the maintenance coiffers. Apparently, as you state, this wasn’t the case.

As far as pictures, try photobucket.com for hosting pictures and just provide the link. Doesn’t appear that Cinema Treasures is functional in that respect.

chummer
chummer on January 25, 2006 at 7:09 am

Roland,
Jim Quinn was the nicest guy anyone could ever meet. He didn’t get to enjoy his retirement too much though, he passed away May 29th 2003.
It is a big shame that TBC ended up closing. All they had to do was spend a few dollars to fix the place up and it would have been a money maker. BCG just didn’t want to spend any money on the place.
I’ll post the pics on photobucket and then provide the link on here.

SolemnRaz
SolemnRaz on February 26, 2007 at 11:04 pm

Hey Chummer (I know who you are!),

“Once I left in October, they went through a few different managers, none who really did much to keep the place clean.”

That’s not really a fair statement, considering I know you never stepped foot back in the place once I took it over. I did my best to keep that theater clean with the leaky ceilings, broken equipment, and lack of any help (or $$$) from the owners. I worked my butt off to keep the building just running and half presentable; re-paining, re-tiling, and basically re-modeling as good as I could with my own cash… I loved it there, it was a very sad ending to a great run in the theater biz for me. =(

chummer
chummer on February 7, 2008 at 9:13 pm

Tri-Boro cinemas is now being torn down. Demolition began this week

Roland L.
Roland L. on February 7, 2008 at 10:13 pm

Chummer, thanks for the heads up. I didn’t know that this was happening and I will try and stop by to grab some pictures if possible.

chummer
chummer on February 7, 2008 at 11:00 pm

Roland, I took some yesterday and today..and hopefully more tomorrow, but i’m not sure how to post them on here

Roland L.
Roland L. on February 8, 2008 at 12:25 am

Chummer, I host my pictures on photobucket.com and then cut & paste the URL. I see others here post photos with weblink names instead of the entire URL address. I must admit I don’t know the shortened method.

chummer
chummer on February 26, 2008 at 9:52 am

Here are two stories from the SUN CHRONICLE about TriBoro:

View link

View link

James Fisher
James Fisher on February 26, 2008 at 10:30 am

Chummer i know all there is about the Triboro Cinema i have a site on here as well i have had it for years /theaters/17841/
I knew Jim Quinn well he moved to Florida and went to work for Universaal stucdios in 1992 and left a few months later he lived 30 mins from me and my whole family worked at the Triboro i dont whats your name i knew everyone and the assist Jim had were Sue and Chrisy Nitso My sister Donna was a Ass ist as well i worked there before i went to Woonsocket Cimena 8 as a manager check out my sites on Cinema Treasures i have lots of pitures of allll some on the sites

Roland L.
Roland L. on February 26, 2008 at 4:15 pm

Is it just me or does anyone feel a pang when seeing a picture of a frequented movie theater in the throes of destruction?

I went there in the late 70’s almost every other week. Man, I am having flashbacks of purchasing my ticket at the outsides window, entering the building and going to the left for the men’s room while my girlfriend went straight away center to purchase the popcorn and drinks.

Sigh, sigh and another sigh.

To be remembered, Tri-Boro and Jim Quinn.

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