BOARDMAN A co-owner of a locally operated second-run, budget movie theater in Boardman posted a message on the theater’s Facebook page this week stating that she does not know how much longer they will be able to keep the doors open.

Paige DeCiancio, who co-owns Boardman Movies 8 in the Shops at Boardman Park with her father, Brian DeCiancio, posted a video addressing customers. She said the theater, located in the Shops at Boardman Park, has struggled to stay open every day since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Basically, we don't know how much longer we are going to be able to keep the doors open at Movies 8,” DeCiancio said in the video. “Nothing is set in stone. There are no dates, nothing like that. But this video is just to give you guys a warning, so nothing comes as a major shock.”

DeCiancio said the owners have made efforts to keep the theater’s ticket price at $4 but that the revenue is “just not enough anymore.” She said the video was not a request for a handout or a GoFundMe.

“This is just strictly to let you guys know where we're at right now,” DeCiancio said.

DeCiancio did offer a suggestion to patrons who want to help keep the business open. “Come to the movies. Just come to the movies,” she said.

The DeCiancios, who took over the theater in 2014, also operate the Skyway Twin Drive-in in Warren. The family also operated Encore Cinemas in Niles, which, according to Paige, was “lost due to COVID.”

“We've had an amazing 11 years with you guys,” DeCiancio said.

Most movie theatres around the country, not just second-run venues like Boardman Movies 8, have had to struggle back after the COVID-19 epidemic.

An article published in the Michigan Journal of Economics stated that the rise of streaming services has presented a new challenge for theaters as more and more people opt to watch movies at home.

DeCiancio also addressed customer comments about the theater’s seats.

“I know we don't have the reclining seats,” she said in the video. “And the fact of the matter is not all business owners are millionaires. If we could have afforded to change the seats, we would have years ago.”

Paige DeCiancio said her family does not operate the business for money but because they “love what we do.”

She concluded the message by stating that if anything changes in the future, they will let customers know. DeCiancio said patrons can still visit her at the Skyway Drive-in.