Family-run theater returns to roots in Buffalo Township
Nick Mulone knows just about everything about running a movie theater, including how to revive one.
The 82-year-old owner of South Pike Cinemas in Buffalo Township has been in the business since 1948 when his parents opened a theater. Just like theater trends, he’s seen businesses come and go, and he remembers when the area was mostly farmland in the 1970s with only two businesses nearby: His Cinema 356 and an ice cream shop across the street.
Mulone built the new 10-screen theater in 2002. After sales further lagged during the pandemic in 2020, AMC Theatres did not renew its lease when August of 2024 came.
Mulone opened it himself three months later and has seen increasing ticket sales since.
“Business has picked up dramatically in recent years,” Mulone said, adding that the family is pleased with its decision to run the theater.
Partially because he’s brought back some of the trends corporate theaters dismissed and kept ticket prices low.
One popular feature brought back at South Pike is two party rooms, which families and organizations use for birthday and holiday parties. Groups can bring their own decorations, food and desserts and choose a movie that fits the occasion, whether it is a cartoon, a children’s film or a first-run movie for adults.
“We’re pretty busy with parties,” said Kevin Bertocki, the theater’s general manager and Mulone’s nephew.
On many days, moviegoers can see Mulone on a ladder changing light bulbs, making repairs and doing maintenance. He also continues to invest in upgrades to the property. He is not much for conversation and lets his general manager speak for him about the business he has long loved.
“A lot of people in this area like dealing with family-owned businesses,” Bertocki said. “This is a more family-oriented area.”
Many of the AMC employees came back, too.
“They liked working for a family-run business rather than a corporation,” Bertocki said.
The owners also have noticed an uptick in moviegoers from surrounding areas such as Clarion, Redbank, Leechburg and Apollo.
“We’re learning what type of movies the people in our geographical area like, in addition to blockbuster movies,” Bertocki said, noting that “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” has done very well recently.
“People even call us on the phone and suggest movies,” Bertocki said, adding that they choose movies based on moviegoers’ preferences, occasionally showing older films.
The seating at the theater is stadium-style rather than the more modern recliners, which means it offers more seats at cheaper prices.
Bertocki said there is a lot of joy in seeing the theater doing well and the community embracing moviegoing again. The theater was previously leased to Carmike Cinemas in 2014 before AMC acquired it in 2016.
“Come support your local movie theaters,” he said. “They’re a dying breed. People have big-screen TVs at home, but it’s still not the same as coming out to a theater and seeing a movie on the big screen.”
