Magna Theater Miles From Competition
By Terry Orme
Salt Lake Tribune, 10 April 1992, page B9
Summary:
The Reel Theatre, located in the Arbor Park shopping complex in Magna, has five theaters ranging in size from 150 to 270 seats. The first three auditoriums opened in December 1992 and the final two on 10 April 1992.
Robert Denning, who owns the theater, chose Magna because "Salt Lake is overscreened on the east side. The farther away from the competition, the better off we'll be. Time will tell how wise it is." The Reel Theatre's nearest competition is the Valley Fair 9, 47 blocks east.
The Reel Theatre is "the first theater in Salt Lake Valley to show first-run motion pictures and discount-priced second-run movies," a mix designed to bring a wider range of moviegoers to the concession stand.
Mr. Denning was in the banking business until he 1985, when he purchased a small theater in Draper. He later sold that theater and started a mini-chain of theaters stretching from Nampa, Idaho to Richfield, Utah. His philosophy has been to go places avoided by the major chains -- mainly rural communities and small cities.