There’s been a quiet changing of the guard at Ballina Fair Cinemas this month, with one family-owned business taking over from another, showing optimism for the future of big screen entertainment in the area after what was a tough time during COVID.
Ballina Fair Cinemas has been managed by locals Paul and Ella McGrath for almost 20 years. The new owners are Palace Cinemas, which operates another 24 cinemas around Australia, including in Byron Bay.
Mr McGrath told The Echo, ‘Ella and I would like to thank everyone for their support, in particular our regulars over the last three and a half years. We would also like to thank the wonderful staff we have had over the last 20 years. We are very proud of what we achieved, and look forward to seeing everyone in the future.’
Paul McGrath says he and Ella are planning to stay in the area, but are going to have a bit of a rest for the next year or so – ‘a gap year!’
In their time owning the cinema they’ve watched families grow up, with kids eventually bringing their own kids, and seen their staff become successful in and outside of work.
‘We’ve seen plenty of first dates,’ he recalls, along with a couple who came for their 60th wedding anniversary. ‘I remember the lady proudly telling me that she was a cougar because she was 84 and a husband was only 83.’
Big changes
The McGraths have also seen major technical changes in the movie industry over their time, including the big transition from film to digital, and then 3D.
‘The big rolls of film had their own issues, that’s for sure, and when we first started, there were only two screens, so we added one as well. Our biggest movie was Avatar, we had 3D installed for the original film. I just wish there were more films available with that quality.’
Mr McGrath said he was pleased that Palace was a family owned business as well, ‘it’s just that they’ve got over 20 cinemas instead of just one! I wish them all the best for the future and hope they continue to look after the community.
‘It will be a good balance with them having Ballina and Byron as well, with room for family films and blockbusters and Australian films.’
He says the main thing he’ll miss will be the customer interaction, especially the regulars, including kids with special needs who came often over the years.
Ballina Fair Cinemas has also hosted many charity screenings, for various worthy causes. ‘I don’t think we ever knocked one back,’ Mr McGrath remembers.
‘We always did as many charity screenings as we could, anything we could do to help.’
The cinema was also known for offering many prizes in local school fetes and trivia nights. ‘I hope that will continue,’ said Mr McGrath.
In terms of the big picture for cinema, he thinks movies are seeing a resurgence, giving the example of Barbie and Oppenheimer as two very different films currently drawing audiences back to the big screen.
With the cinema in Lismore remaining closed, Ballina still has the biggest cinema in the region, with 270 seats, accompanied by excellent sound.
Exciting potential
Byron Bay’s Eli Ayo has been managing Ballina Cinemas for Palace since the start of July. He told The Echo that day one was rainy and the start of the school holidays, ‘so we had a line-up out the door! It’s been a pretty good introduction to Ballina.’
Mr Ayo said Palace aren’t planning any major changes, a little refurbishment of the foyer and a few paint jobs, along with a new sign, coming soon. There’s a new popcorn cooking machine already installed and barista-quality coffee on the way.
He said there was no liquor licence as yet, but that was in process. ‘It won’t be as extensive as Byron Bay’s bar menu, but we will probably have alcohol options down the track.’
Eli Ayo said there was no discussion about changing the layout of the auditoriums for the time being.
In terms of programming, he said there was a team working on curating a special program for Ballina.
‘We’ve just seen the figures for the school holidays, and it’s the blockbusters that go really well here,’ said Mr Ayo. ‘There’s a demographic that loves those sorts of films, so we’ll keep most of the mainstream films that were being screened. And if there are opportunities available along the way, we’ll look into doing some more arthouse films, foreign films and that sort of thing.’
He said Palace would be honouring prior memberships (purchased under the old management) until the end of 2023, for discounted tickets.
Movie Club
Mr Ayo also said there had been lots of interest in Palace Cinemas Move Club offerings at Ballina. ‘We’ve signed up 600 people in the last two and a half weeks. The public are really getting on board with it, and we’re offering similar prices to what Ballina Cinemas originally offered through membership.’
He agreed with Paul McGrath about people wanting to return to big screen experiences. ‘To see the different crowds coming through these doors has really been interesting, and it’s great to see the support in Ballina and the growth of the area. I think it’s going to be really good decision by Palace to jump on board when they have.’
The Northern Rivers is an unusual situation for Palace, with the company now owning two cinemas fairly close together in a regional area, suggesting a growing number of film lovers locally, and a changing demographic.
Eli Ayo says the large number of retirees in Ballina, along with many new young families, hits all the right spots in terms of cinema audiences, along with the holiday crowds spreading south from Byron Bay.
All in all, Mr Ayo says the cinema will keep doing what it does best, preserving Ballina’s much-loved community picture theatre for new audiences.
Job opportunities
Palace Ballina is still looking for new people to join their team, especially juniors who want to do weekend work or holiday shifts. ‘Yes, we always have cinemas that need to be cleaned and choc tops needing to be made,’ said Mr Ayo.
They are also on the lookout for people over 18 with Responsible Service of Alcohol accreditation, for when the liquor licence comes through.
Eli Ayo says Palace Ballina is open to collaborating with local organisations for fundraising and other opportunities, continuing the proud tradition of the cinema built up by Paul and Ella McGrath.
You can check their session times or get in touch with Palace Ballina Fair Cinemas via their website or (02) 6686 9600.
