Premiere Theatres, owned by Rick Stowell, opened in May of 1994 after the city had gone without a movie theatre for over twelve years. Rick took over the old grocery store owned by his father Gene, which closed in 1993, and turned it into a four-screen movie theatre.
Demand was so great that he added two more screens in 1996. In 2011, upgrades in seating were made, changing out regular seating to the high back rocker style chairs. By doing this renovation and seating upgrades, it took the capacity from 1,000 seats to 820 seats. Many people are asking, "what about recliners?" Adam, Rick's son and next-generation owner, attended CinemaCon in Vegas, and it looks like they will be converting to recliners in the near future.
Also, in 2011, Premiere was the first theatre in Minnesota to go 100% digital when installing digital projectors. The way movies were delivered when they first opened by film stock on large reals and fed through a projector and spliced together to show the entire movie, approximately three reels has since changed to movies being delivered over digital satellite.
Many people thought that streaming would be the end of the movie theaters. During the pandemic, movies went to streaming, Hollywood did not get enough money from that format, piracy was an issue, and the quality suffered. The film industry tried it, and it did not work. People love their local theatre experience and could hardly wait to come back to see movies.
Stop by Premiere Theatres and say hello to Rick, Adam, and manager Cary. Then, get your tickets, popcorn, and candy, settle into the comfy seating and get ready to see some of the greatest blockbuster hits!
Premiere Theatres
904 Hwy 33 South
Cloquet MN 55720
(218) 879-7985