The iconic Fremont Theater in downtown San Luis Obispo shut its doors Jan. 31. Conflicting posts to the theater’s Facebook page fueled public confusion, with locals left wondering about the duration of the closure and whether it was the result of lease negotiations between the operator, Newport Beach-based Sanborn Theaters, and the owners, King Ventures and Rossi Enterprises. The assistant manager on duty that day told New Times that the move was not a surprise; the six employees had known of the impending closure since September. It is unclear if and when the theater may reopen—neither John King of King Ventures, Rob Rossi of Rossi Enterprises, nor Bruce Sanborn, president of Sanborn Theaters, returned repeated calls for comment from New Times. The Fremont’s Facebook page notes: “An official statement has yet to have been made.”
This article appears in Feb 7-14, 2013.