The new owners of Iola’s B&B Sterling Six Cinema have known each other a long time.
Rob Mayer and Tom Struthers with RT Entertainment Inc., got their start working together at a movie theater in Okabochi, Iowa, when they were in seventh grade. They stayed in touch and went into business together after Mayer graduated from college and Struthers completed active duty with the U.S. Air Force.
They teamed up in 2016 to reopen a one-screen movie theater in Milford, Iowa, that had previously been owned by Mayer’s parents. They added a second screen with renovations that “made it into a world-class theater,” as Mayer described it. Then, they did the same thing at another small theater in Minnesota, and bought a third theater in Tulsa.
They turned to B&B Theatres for help finding their next opportunity. Did the company have any smaller cinemas that needed a little TLC?
“Even though their roots are here, B&B is focused on bigger cities and bigger markets, so Iola hasn’t been getting the attention it needs. They recognized that and we thought it would be a good fit,” Mayer said.
Indeed, Iola’s theater is named after one of the B&B company’s founders, former Iolan Sterling Bagby. He and his wife, Pauline, ran a string of moviehouses across Kansas and Missouri, eventually joining with the Bills family to form B&B Theaters. Sterling Bagby also previously owned Sonic Equipment, and moved the company to Iola in 1982 when he acquired the local theater. The new Sterling Six Cinema opened in 2001, a year after Sterling Bagby’s death. Today, B&B is the fifth largest theater chain in the U.S., with 57 locations in 15 states.
RT Entertainment purchased both the Iola and Chanute theaters from B&B, effective Monday.
“These theaters have a long legacy with the B&B family, and we’re thrilled they’ve entrusted us with their care,” Mayer said. “We love movies. It’s a business we’re both passionate about and we like putting on a good show.”
OVER TIME, the Iola movie theater will get a makeover.
Likely, that will start with the easiest items: New paint and carpet.
“The building is almost 23 years old, so naturally there will be upkeep,” Mayer said.
Eventually, the entire theater will convert to reclining seats. Mayer said he is glad Sonic Equipment is nearby, as RT Entertainment has worked with Sonic from the beginning.
“Our philosophy is to reinvest a good chunk of the proceeds back into the business. We want to make the theater nice for folks in the community and we like working with local folks,” he said.
“In the near future, probably the best news is we’re going to calibrate the ticket prices a little bit. I think they’re too high.”
The theaters will continue to honor gift certificates.
