The crazy asking price isn’t so crazy. However, it is one reason why so many older theaters close. Real estate appreciates, typically much faster than ticket prices. The IOKA is located in Exeter, NH not Bumblescum Kansas. Exeter is a beautiful, New England town, in the most populous region of the State, the IOKA is directly across the street from one of the most prestigious prep schools in the Country. It is one of the largest commercial buildings in town and is in excellent physical condition. The price is also not just for the building but at 995,000 includes everything related to the operation. This operation extends well beyond movies. Just the audio systems alone which include two professional PA’s as well as video production and lighting cost over $150,000. Not too mention two digital projection sytems, and tens of thousands of dollars of furnishings. To think of the IOKA as simply a ‘movie theater’ is to discredit what this operation has been and could be. The price also includes all furnishings, inventory, intellectual properties, trademarks, and the liquor license.
Happy 92 IOKA! 1915-2007, Birth of a Nation – Bee Movie, provided we survive the gas prices and fire safety improvements of this winter we will see everyone in 2008
The theater is not officially for sale, it was but the listing ran out some time ago. The IOKA is now 91 years old and still moving along, albeit with the usual difficulties. Rising utilities, insurance, and most recently the enforcement of the new state fire codes, etc. In 2006 we were flooded out and then bombed by golf ball sized hail. Still we endure. It was our hope that the sale would attract one or more intereted parties that could have been joined together to create a new non-profit entity to take ownership of the theater. Under its current ownership structure, creating a non-profit to make the IOKA eligible for various forms of funding appears difficult. We would greatly appreciate the help of anyone who happens to be an expert in non-profit matters. We are in serious need of outside funding to help us meet our required safety improvements. If we cannot meet these improvements it is very likely that we will be forced to close. Once again I would like to thank the enormous efforts of my staff and the support of our fans.
Take note New England, another piece of your history just went away. Sad that this had to happen. As an owner in the shallower pool of independent cinemas I know what a loss this is to everyone involved. The staff of the IOKA salutes all of you that worked so hard to support this cinema over the years. You will be missed.
Just here to tell everyone that we are still open and will be for the holiday movie season, which looks to have at least a couple of hits.
That means the IOKA will turn 90! Actually its official anniversary was Oct 31, 2005. We are throwing a week long series of events from Nov 10-17th to celebrate.
Unfortunately, after the new year the IOKA will be closed for movies due to the incredibly high costs of heating the structure and the lack of decent movies that would appeal to our customers. However, we will be open for several special events in the months of January and February so keep an eye on our website www.iokatheater.com
Will the IOKA rejoin the movie business? I am uncertain at this point. Our main competition is adding several more screens. Single screen theaters can ONLY survive with strong local support. With the support of the community for both our movies and special events we can survive.
Also I would like to clarify some comments made in an earlier post. After a recent conversation with our Chief of Police regarding some of the incidents that have occurred, I have been assured that the enforcement we have been subject to has not been from our local police department.
Keep meaning to get here and make a few comments myself, instead of having everyone do it for me. I won’t spend alot of time goingt into the history of the IOKA as that is pretty well recorded here. Instead I would like to write about what has taken place under my ownership.
Though I am a movie fan, it was the opportunity to restore live entertainment to the IOKA, and the nightclub operation that inspired me to buy it. I have now spent the better part of two years improving the facility and slowing producing more and more events.
The list of improvements includes a new boiler, the first set of stage curtains in over 40 years, a complete renovation of the balcony with new seats, the installation of a state of the art PA system, installation of a new LED stage lighting system, concessions redesign, overhauling the movie sound system, and doubling the size of the stage (by capping the original orchestra pit, a controversial but necessary step), as well as countless other small improvements. Still to go is an electrical service upgrade, redesign of the main screen and construction of dressing rooms.
You Brenkert fans will be glad to know that htey are still up there churning away. in fact if anyone is in need of Brennkert BX-80 and 100 heads, I now have nearly 20 in my collection.
However you carbon arc fans will have to forgive me. In the interest of efficency we did take the step of installing a platter system in the upper booth, and replacing the old Ashcroft carbon lighthouse with a Xenon box. Projector one is still pristine and we do still use it to run one reelers occassionally.
Sadly the IOKA is struggling and its future is uncertain. I don’t need to tell anyone here what a disaster the movie business has been in 2005. One flop after another has left our bottom line hurting badly. Worse, our attempts to being a diversity of live entertainment to the IOKA have received nothing but yawns from the surrounding community who seem to have little interest in supporting cultural progamming.
Worse yet we are being constantly harassed by the local police and liquor commission who literally sit in cars outside our doors in full view of our patrons. It has so damaged the night club business that we were forced to close it to the public, and now operate the lower level strictly as a function room. I am convinced this town does not want an entertainment complex as part of its downtown. I have never heard or seen anything like this. Most communities would bend over backward to support something like the IOKA, yet Exeter not only seems to care less, it is all but assisting in the eventual closure of its ONLY venue.
How much longer will the IOKA survive? Difficult to say. We have suspended all further improvements, and are cutting goperating expenses wherever possible. I am actively searching for additional investors in order to complete the improvement plan and move forward with event programming in the hope that the public will begin to understand that the IOKA is far more than a movie theater.
The IOKA is closed. Anyone interested in theater seats, curtains, lighting, and other related equipment may contact us through the website.
The crazy asking price isn’t so crazy. However, it is one reason why so many older theaters close. Real estate appreciates, typically much faster than ticket prices. The IOKA is located in Exeter, NH not Bumblescum Kansas. Exeter is a beautiful, New England town, in the most populous region of the State, the IOKA is directly across the street from one of the most prestigious prep schools in the Country. It is one of the largest commercial buildings in town and is in excellent physical condition. The price is also not just for the building but at 995,000 includes everything related to the operation. This operation extends well beyond movies. Just the audio systems alone which include two professional PA’s as well as video production and lighting cost over $150,000. Not too mention two digital projection sytems, and tens of thousands of dollars of furnishings. To think of the IOKA as simply a ‘movie theater’ is to discredit what this operation has been and could be. The price also includes all furnishings, inventory, intellectual properties, trademarks, and the liquor license.
Happy 92 IOKA! 1915-2007, Birth of a Nation – Bee Movie, provided we survive the gas prices and fire safety improvements of this winter we will see everyone in 2008
The theater is not officially for sale, it was but the listing ran out some time ago. The IOKA is now 91 years old and still moving along, albeit with the usual difficulties. Rising utilities, insurance, and most recently the enforcement of the new state fire codes, etc. In 2006 we were flooded out and then bombed by golf ball sized hail. Still we endure. It was our hope that the sale would attract one or more intereted parties that could have been joined together to create a new non-profit entity to take ownership of the theater. Under its current ownership structure, creating a non-profit to make the IOKA eligible for various forms of funding appears difficult. We would greatly appreciate the help of anyone who happens to be an expert in non-profit matters. We are in serious need of outside funding to help us meet our required safety improvements. If we cannot meet these improvements it is very likely that we will be forced to close. Once again I would like to thank the enormous efforts of my staff and the support of our fans.
Take note New England, another piece of your history just went away. Sad that this had to happen. As an owner in the shallower pool of independent cinemas I know what a loss this is to everyone involved. The staff of the IOKA salutes all of you that worked so hard to support this cinema over the years. You will be missed.
Hi again from the IOKA,
Just here to tell everyone that we are still open and will be for the holiday movie season, which looks to have at least a couple of hits.
That means the IOKA will turn 90! Actually its official anniversary was Oct 31, 2005. We are throwing a week long series of events from Nov 10-17th to celebrate.
Unfortunately, after the new year the IOKA will be closed for movies due to the incredibly high costs of heating the structure and the lack of decent movies that would appeal to our customers. However, we will be open for several special events in the months of January and February so keep an eye on our website www.iokatheater.com
Will the IOKA rejoin the movie business? I am uncertain at this point. Our main competition is adding several more screens. Single screen theaters can ONLY survive with strong local support. With the support of the community for both our movies and special events we can survive.
Also I would like to clarify some comments made in an earlier post. After a recent conversation with our Chief of Police regarding some of the incidents that have occurred, I have been assured that the enforcement we have been subject to has not been from our local police department.
Roger Detzler
Hello All,
Keep meaning to get here and make a few comments myself, instead of having everyone do it for me. I won’t spend alot of time goingt into the history of the IOKA as that is pretty well recorded here. Instead I would like to write about what has taken place under my ownership.
Though I am a movie fan, it was the opportunity to restore live entertainment to the IOKA, and the nightclub operation that inspired me to buy it. I have now spent the better part of two years improving the facility and slowing producing more and more events.
The list of improvements includes a new boiler, the first set of stage curtains in over 40 years, a complete renovation of the balcony with new seats, the installation of a state of the art PA system, installation of a new LED stage lighting system, concessions redesign, overhauling the movie sound system, and doubling the size of the stage (by capping the original orchestra pit, a controversial but necessary step), as well as countless other small improvements. Still to go is an electrical service upgrade, redesign of the main screen and construction of dressing rooms.
You Brenkert fans will be glad to know that htey are still up there churning away. in fact if anyone is in need of Brennkert BX-80 and 100 heads, I now have nearly 20 in my collection.
However you carbon arc fans will have to forgive me. In the interest of efficency we did take the step of installing a platter system in the upper booth, and replacing the old Ashcroft carbon lighthouse with a Xenon box. Projector one is still pristine and we do still use it to run one reelers occassionally.
Sadly the IOKA is struggling and its future is uncertain. I don’t need to tell anyone here what a disaster the movie business has been in 2005. One flop after another has left our bottom line hurting badly. Worse, our attempts to being a diversity of live entertainment to the IOKA have received nothing but yawns from the surrounding community who seem to have little interest in supporting cultural progamming.
Worse yet we are being constantly harassed by the local police and liquor commission who literally sit in cars outside our doors in full view of our patrons. It has so damaged the night club business that we were forced to close it to the public, and now operate the lower level strictly as a function room. I am convinced this town does not want an entertainment complex as part of its downtown. I have never heard or seen anything like this. Most communities would bend over backward to support something like the IOKA, yet Exeter not only seems to care less, it is all but assisting in the eventual closure of its ONLY venue.
How much longer will the IOKA survive? Difficult to say. We have suspended all further improvements, and are cutting goperating expenses wherever possible. I am actively searching for additional investors in order to complete the improvement plan and move forward with event programming in the hope that the public will begin to understand that the IOKA is far more than a movie theater.
Sincerely,
Roger Detzler
President
IOKA Entertainment Inc