Los Gatos seeks new operator for historic town theater

Los Gatos is seeking a new director to take over operations of the Los Gatos Theatre, as the facility has been closed since March 2020 due to the pandemic.

The theater was founded in 1915 as the Strand Theater and was redone several times over the past century. Most recently, the Goetz family purchased the theater in 2011 and invested heavily in restoring the building in historic art-deco fashion. The family donated it to the town in November 2021.

According to the Mercury News, Los Gatos has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to take over the turnkey operation and is open to all kinds of management plans. The new operator will be responsible for preserving the building, handing all day-to-day operations, and engaging with the community through events.

The deadline to respond to the RFP is March 4, but there is already interest in the property. Assistant Town Manager Arn Andrews has conducted building walkthroughs with three companies to date, and the town is hoping for at least three applicants.

The theater industry was hit particularly hard by the pandemic and it’s been less than a year since movie theaters were allowed to open their doors in the Bay Area.

The priority in finding a new operator for the Los Gatos Theatre is to keep the theater open, preserved and fiscally sustainable for years to come.