Palace Pointe’s new owners have big dreams for Roxboro
It was an overcast day in September 2021. Not the best for touring the building you want to make the next home of your business, but Janelle and Blaine Given went on to Roxboro to tour Palace Pointe theaters and entertainment center. The couple owns and operates Red Carpet Entertainment Theaters (RCE Theaters) which has locations in Roanoke Rapids, Elizabeth City, and Henderson and was looking to expand even further.
Janelle worked on some things for their other locations of RCE Theaters on the drive. Blaine tried to make conversation as he drove. Mostly he just thought to himself about the other RCE Theaters, his insurance agency, the executive coaching he does, and how Palace Pointe could play into all of that.
When they pulled into the parking lot, it wasn’t exciting. The electronic sign by the highway that would have been lit up 24/7 was off. The parking lot was cracked all over, baked from the sun, empty, all a reminder that Palace Pointe’s glory days seemed to be over.
Inside, the design and layout of Palace Pointe reminded them of Las Vegas. Janelle and Blaine are fond of it as they go there every year to attend CinemaCon, a convention for movie theater owners. It felt more like a mall than a movie theater which they found attractive.
“It wasn’t the beginning of a movie, we didn’t hear angels singing,” said Blaine Given, “But we did hear angels singing to say, ‘You need to try to figure out how to make this a part of your empire.’”
Walking into Palace Pointe for the first time as a customer was an experience at least before it closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through eight glass doors that greet you with their shiny handles, you could see a decorative water fountain, the kind children throw pennies into. High ceilings painted like a blue sky with clouds above your head and faux cobblestone below your feet gave a larger than life feeling. A retro, 1950s style diner was to the left and the movie ticket counter was to the right. Down the large hall that ran through the middle of the building was a bowling alley, a skating rink, an arcade and a great room for birthday parties and other such events. A sight to behold in a small town like Roxboro.
Most people were walking in with a gaggle of kids, including Sharon Schlesinger who took her three children to see “Monsters, Inc.” a few months after the theater first opened. They would get popcorn, Pepsi (the drink at Palace Pointe as the owners at the time also owned the Pepsi plant in town), and M&Ms to toss in the popcorn. Then they would settle into the dark red theater seats and enjoy a feature film as a family.
The Givens had known about Palace Pointe since purchasing a location in Henderson to open a RCE Theaters in November 2020. The proximity means the businesses shared vendors which is how they found out Palace Pointe would not be reopening and was looking for new ownership. After an exchange of emails with the previous owners of Palace Pointe, it was clear the Givens knew what they were doing in the theater business and had a vision for the future.
“It’s an addicting business,” said Janelle Given, “The theaters are addicting, but I think the communities are addicting, too.” They have gone around North Carolina from Roanoke Rapids, to Elizabeth City, to Henderson, and now to Roxboro saving theaters for small communities.
But Palace Pointe wasn’t just a theater. It also housed a bowling alley with 20 lanes and a large roller rink which would be completely new territory for the Givens.
A multiplex entertainment venue like this was unique to Roxboro upon its opening. Before that, the town had only a roller rink called Outer Limits. It wasn’t the kind of place that families often went. It was small and had just a few arcade games scattered around and a snack bar to offer customers.
Palace Pointe became the place everyone could come, no matter the occasion. Whether it was birthday parties where kids would skate with their families to “Who Let the Dogs Out?” or glow-in-the-dark bowling after prom, these are the kinds of memories Palace Pointe was built on. These are the memories that are sure to continue as RCE Theaters makes changes that reflect their values.
The first time back for patrons has been the same in aesthetics and actions, but different in monetary expenditures and mood. Lauren Clayton visited RCE Theaters at Palace Pointe recently to see “Spider Man: No Way Home” with her husband, Orie Clayton. They took the same roads, parked in the same lot. They saw the same painted clouds on the ceiling and the same 1950s themed diner to the left, although the lights were off, and a sign sat in front of the door to bar people from entering.
Lauren could tell change was happening as there was no longer a fountain in the middle of the lobby, but rather a screen running ads and a stage. There was no music playing. You could hear echoes of every conversation, not that there were many going on in the newly reopened building. Lauren noticed the ticket prices were much cheaper. Now the couple could afford concessions as well as tickets.
Nevertheless, it was still an experience. An experience that is meant to be shared. The Givens' heart is to entertain and for that entertainment to draw people together. They believe that movie theaters are the great equalizers. When you come to a movie it doesn’t matter where you work, who you voted for, or how much money you make, you share an experience that cannot be found anywhere else in America. You laugh together, cry together, cheer together and then go your separate ways until the next time you need to see a movie.
“It’s truly what a community is supposed to be,” Blaine said.