Patrons mourn the loss of discount movie theater

Melissa Reinert | Cincinnati Enquirer

FLORENCE - Want to catch a movie at the cheapies this weekend?

You won't be able to go to the Danbarry Dollar Saver Cinemas on Turfway in Florence.

The marquee boasting upcoming movies reads "closed" at the discount movie theater. The owner took to Facebook yesterday to announce that the theater is permanently closed.

The owner could not be reached for immediate comment.

Florence Economic Director Josh Hunt said that the building had been on the market for a while now.

"I can’t comment on the future plans of the site because I have not been contacted about what the future plans are," he said. "I do know they have had it on the market for a long time. I’ve worked through a few concepts on the site but height restrictions, due to the runway, were a factor."

The Facebook post announcing the closing came as shock to many longtime patrons who flooded the Facebook thread with their sentiments.

For some, it was a place where they "practically grew up." For others, it was the location of many first dates.

Jessica Nicole Due, 30, who grew up in Walton, remembered being 15 and meeting her now-husband at Danbarry for a date.

"We had seen 'Without a Paddle' and ended up stuck there for a few hours later waiting for his dad to pick us up," she said.

The Dues now live in Silverdale, Washington, but, still have an admission ticket from that night. It's worn and faded. Their many fond memories of movie nights at Danbury, however, are still vibrantly visible in their minds.

"Another time, after a movie, we got locked out of our car so we actually asked the cop that always sat outside to help us," Due said. "He let us sit in the back of his cruiser for warmth because it was cold out. Then we had him take a picture of us in the back of the cruiser to give to our moms and scare them."

Danbarry, an Ohio head-quartered company, still has locations in Chillicothe, South Dayton and Huber Heights.