Oak Harbor Cinemas will continue to be a part of many childhood memories under two new owners.

Bryan and Carrie Stucky announced they are taking over ownership of the movie theater with a Facebook post on April 2 — a day after finalizing the purchase, they said, to dispel any suspicions of pulling an April Fool’s prank on the community.

Bryan, who is a member of the Oak Harbor City Council and the owner of Wallin-Stucky Funeral Home, said he looks forward to doing something fun, as funerals and politics tend to be serious matters. Carrie is also involved in local politics, serving on the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission and the Island County Accessible Community Committee.

The Stuckys said the business will continue to operate as a movie theater and keep its current staff, though there will be some enhancements and additions, like more sensory-friendly showings (about once a month), more concession options, private event packages, video games on the big screen and more.

Playing Super Mario Kart on the big screen, bringing musical enthusiasts for sing-along showings and encouraging costumes and cosplays are some ideas that could reignite the waning love for movie theaters and foster community building in a way that streaming platforms can’t do, the Stuckys said.

Bryan, who likes to play video games in his free time, said he had already been upgrading his televisions to larger screens. Now, with a movie theater, “you can’t get much bigger than that,” he laughed.

Some of the new ideas might take a few months to come to fruition, Carrie said. In the meantime, they are open to suggestions. While they wait for their liquor license to be renewed — which could take about a month, they said — they plan to ask what beers and wines the public would like, or ask staff what foods guests ask for that the theater does not carry.

“It would be great to bring back hotdogs/pretzels and perhaps some frozen snacks,” Bryan wrote in an email. “We are a little limited not having a commercial kitchen, but if the community is looking for something particular, I’d be glad to look into (it).”

Since their announcement on the Oak Harbor Cinemas Facebook account, the Stuckys have received requests for hot dogs, old movies, the Metropolitan Opera and the Rocky Horror Picture Show, ideas they said they are open to.

When Oak Harbor Cinemas was announced to be on sale a year ago, the couple casually entertained the idea of buying it, taking it more seriously at the beginning of 2025. Before that, Bryan had been considering bringing something new to the city, almost opening a three-in-one Jamba Juice, Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon, but had to abandon the idea as he could not find the right location, he said.

Saddened by the idea of seeing the theater close or be sold to an off-island investor, the Stuckys finally decided to step in this winter.

“I was like, ‘You know, as much as I’d like to bring something here, preserving what we have is just as important as bringing something new,’” Bryan said.

Oak Harbor Cinemas has been around for 44 years. The theater, located at 1321 Southwest Barlow Street, was built in 1981 by John Solin, who operated it until he sold the business but leased the building to another company in 1990. Ten years later, the movie theater was leased and operated by Far Away Entertainment until Solin, along with Michel Gahard, took it back in 2019.

While some Facebook users speculated that the reason behind the sale was the presence of SPiN Cafe, Solin told the News-Times in 2024 that he had already been planning to sell before the nonprofit moved next door, after the completion of a $300,000 renovation project. The pandemic, however, delayed that process.

Solin said he supported what SPiN Cafe has been doing for the unhoused community, but thought it should not have been opened in a commercial area.

Until now, Bryan’s perspective on the matter has been that of a council member. Now that he owns a business right next to SPiN Cafe, he will see it through a new lens. However, it’s still early to tell how he will be affected, he said. Regardless, he plans to discuss any concerns with the owners of SPiN directly, while adding more cameras outside and working to make sure the theater’s portion of the parking lot is safe.

Moving forward, if the council has to make a vote affecting SPiN Cafe, he will have to abstain, but can provide his input as a neighboring business owner.

The Stuckys are still in the early stages of learning the basics of operating a movie theater, but are excited to start a new chapter and bring some smiles to the community that welcomed them in 2016.

“People are so kind here,” Bryan said. “Hopefully this gives us one more avenue to support the community that we love.”