Comments from John Whyte

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John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Nov 18, 2014 at 9:14 am

Back in business Vacaville Reporter POSTED: 11/17/2014 08:06:04 PM PST Ryan Chalk/) The Theatre DeVille reopened its doors Monday, serving lunch patrons for the first time since it abruptly closed in September.

Owner Jason Johnson said the quiet reopening is to allow time for “figuring things out.”

The reopening was announced on the theatre’s website with Johnson saying the venue is “back and ready to serve you 7 days a week as a Sports and Entertainment Bar!” For now, just the bar portion is open with a new menu and Johnson said he is working on the events calendar for the future.

A grand reopening event is set for Nov. 26.

For more information, go online to http://devillevacaville.com/.

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Nov 13, 2014 at 9:20 am

Well, here we go, again. Let’s hope it goes well… Theatre DeVille to reopen Monday By Kimberly K. Fu

@ReporterKimFu on Twitter

POSTED: 11/12/2014 08:39:22 PM PST

Theatre DeVille is getting a second act — the Vacaville entertainment venue is slated to reopen Monday.

“It’s kind of low key,” said owner Jason Johnson on Wednesday. “We’re just opening it up and figuring things out.”

Johnson and his former business partner Royce Farris renovated the old Clark Theatre on Main Street and turned it into what some have called the hub, or the gem, of the downtown area. It opened with great fanfare in January and served up music and comedy and other acts and events, along with lunch.

In September, the venue abruptly closed.

In a statement released by its legal team, DeVille owners thanked its supporters and promised to “seek a new formula to make the Theatre the destination Vacaville deserves and can use while accommodating the competitive realities of the Theatre’s location between San Francisco, Sacramento and Napa.”

Johnson later told a Reporter columnist that DeVille’s reorganization was due to high overhead costs, among other things. He and his partner amicably parted ways and Johnson went full bore into planning a reopening.

On Facebook this week, DeVille announced news that had fans overjoyed.

“We are back and ready to serve you 7 days a week as a Sports and Entertainment Bar!,” read the post. “Monday, November 17th @ 11AM is the day! Come in and grab a bite to EAT and a COLD BEER!”

Reached by phone Wednesday, Johnson clarified that just the bar portion would be open right now, though more changes are on the way. The venue will be open every day from 11 a.m. to closing, which will be 2 a.m. at the latest.

“It just depends on how busy we are,” he explained.

There will definitely be music, as DeVille has always been about music, and deejays are on the agenda. There’s also a hope for Wednesday nights as Ladies Nights.

“We have a new menu, though we’ll have a slow start,” he continued. “We’re keeping the menu real simple.”

Right now, Johnson’s working on the events calendar and asks for the community’s patience in getting it going. He wants everything, he said, to be right.

“We’re basically starting from scratch,” he said. “We’ll make it fly for sure this time.”

The grand reopening event is scheduled for Nov. 26.

For more information, go online to http://devillevacaville.com/.

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Nov 6, 2014 at 10:52 am

Guess what? Rumor has it the Deville will re-open November 17th, 2014….More later…

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Sep 17, 2014 at 10:28 pm

THIS SUCKS! As most of you know, I have been a big promoter of the new Deville Theater here in Vacaville. Suddenly, the doors closed today. I’m not going to speculate here, but I’ll be it has something to do with greedy promoters not wanting our “little” town to have such a great venue, with big name, great acts! Here’s the official press release from The Reporter.

Theatre DeVille closes its doors By Reporter Staff POSTED: 09/17/2014 01:09:56 PM PDT

The Theatre DeVille in downtown Vacaville has closed its doors. In a brief message through their law firm, the owners announced that the theater, at 308 Main Street, which had opened in January after a massive year-long renovation and meticulous reconstruction is canceling the remainder of its scheduled shows. “DeVille thanks all of its supporters and well-wishers that have visited the Theatre since its re-opening in January. DeVille has been committed to making the Theatre a great place for the Downtown area and all of Vacaville,” the statement reads. “While closed, DeVille will seek a new formula to make the Theatre the destination Vacaville deserves and can use while accommodating the competitive realities of the Theatre’s location between San Francisco, Sacramento and Napa.” The announcement says that anyone who has pre-purchased tickets for an event scheduled after today, “will receive a full refund.” It goes on to apologize for the “inconvenience and disappointment to its great patrons and all those who have supported it in its journey thus far” and adds that “DeVille looks forward to finding a format that works for the community and the Theatre’s neighbors while honoring the Theatre’s heritage.” DeVille officials declined comment and referred calls to their attorneys. Continue to watch TheReporter.com for updates and look for a full story in Thursday’s print and online editions.

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Aug 20, 2014 at 10:29 am

Great time at the Deville last friday! http://m.thereporter.com/reporter/pm_10230/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=QgLKfD47

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Jan 26, 2014 at 9:06 pm

It’s OPEN ! First “Soft Opening” was last night….More to come….https://www.facebook.com/DevilleVacaville

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Jan 6, 2014 at 10:19 am

Check this out from The Vacaville Reporter today! (I hope this link works…The Reporter’s web site is kinda squrilly) http://www.thereporter.com/news/ci_24852601/downtown-vacaville-theater-revamp-right-schedule

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Dec 27, 2013 at 3:19 pm

Marque is going up today! Check the new photo!

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Dec 27, 2013 at 11:43 am

Rumor has it a late January, 2014 opening is very possible….

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Dec 27, 2013 at 11:33 am

Check this out…. https://www.facebook.com/DevilleVacaville

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Nov 20, 2013 at 6:40 pm

Juist added moe photos from the “NEW” interior…Gonna be way cool!

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Oct 29, 2013 at 5:35 pm

Lots of progress. Added new photos today. Still looking at opening before the end of this year.

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Oct 4, 2013 at 3:52 pm

Contractor appreciation lunch today.( 4 October 2013) We are past the half way point with the Grand Opening in sight. Thank you to all the workers kicking butt to bring Theatre DeVille to life!

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Sep 18, 2013 at 11:34 am

Progress is really moving now. New pictures today. Check ‘em out. Their hoping for a before-the-end of the year opening, and I would’t be surprised if that happens! Status on thie theater should be changed to “Re-Opening Soon”.

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about July 19, 2013...The old Gal has grown a few feet! on Jul 19, 2013 at 5:43 pm

19 July 2013. The old Gal has grown a few feet! Stated for a late 2013 re-opening.

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Jun 19, 2013 at 8:18 am

Did anyone catch a view of the lobby while the front face was demolished over the last couple days? Construction is coming along well. We at DeVille can’t wait to show everyone once complete. (Recent comment from DeVille on Facebook. See new photo)

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Jun 1, 2013 at 5:31 pm

Progress on the restoration of this theatre is coming along nicely! Check out photos…

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Mar 20, 2013 at 9:29 am

Check This Out: http://www.thereporter.com/news/ci_22829806/old-vacaville-theater-reopen-new-name

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Mar 12, 2013 at 1:12 pm

Just added some new photos of the reconstuction as of 12 March 2013

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Feb 22, 2013 at 2:27 pm

Just found this… http://devilleenterprises.blogspot.com/

John Whyte
John Whyte commented about Journey Downtown on Feb 22, 2013 at 2:21 pm

You’ll all be pleased to know that this theater is coming back to life, again. It has been gutted, and I hope plans are to restore the old girl to original as possible. It will bare the name “Theater DeVille”. The 1952 facade appears to be in the process of being removed. Anything else at this time would be a pure guess. More later…..