HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Kailua Cinemas is getting a new chapter as its new owners work to turn the Windward Oahu movie theater into a community hub.
Owners Jaymie and Josh Tyau say the opportunity came unexpectedly.
“Back in August, a friend of ours, a lawyer for the previous owners, he thought of us when he tried our son’s kettle corn and he was like, ‘You ready for your next business venture?’” Jaymie Tyau said. “And he’s like, ‘How about your own kettle corn in your own movie theater?’”
The Tyaus assumed ownership of the theater and quickly realized it came with constant upkeep and surprise expenses.
“We’ve had a projector break where we had to replace the whole projector, and that’s a lot of money coming out of our pocket,” Josh Tyau said. “We’ve had all the rains, so we’ve had some roof issues where we had to fix things.”
Even so, the Tyaus say they’re focused on expanding what the space offers beyond movies — including community events and programming that brings people together.
One of those efforts is a book club tied to film adaptations, where community members read a book first, then gather during opening week to watch the movie and discuss both.
“Any books, movies that we’re bringing to the theater that were books first, we invite everyone in the community to read it, and then we get together, opening week of the movie, and we come together, watch it, and then discuss the movie and the book,” Jaymie Tyau said.
The couple said their goal is to make the theater a place where families can unplug, relax and make memories.
“We want to be a place for the community, a place that you can make memories,” Josh Tyau said, adding that he envisions the theater as a place people can come “and being able to watch something on a Friday night and kind of taking a break from all the work and the stress that we have.”
In addition to regular screenings, the theater is also renting out space for events, from parties to organizations and businesses looking to use the big screen and seating.
Kailua Cinemas is located in Kailua Shopping Center. Showtimes begin at noon Monday through Friday, and at about 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
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