FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Quiet is not what The Lyric typically sounds like.
In a space equal parts overwhelming and creative, the Fort Collins arts venue finds itself 10 months into a wait that’s taken the fun out of everything.
"It’s always depressing to be here and be here by yourself," said Ben Mozer, owner of The Lyric. "Nobody goes to movies anymore. Period. Nobody goes to movies anymore."
The community knows The Lyric as a small independent movie theater. For the better part of the past year, the seats have sat mostly empty, staring forward at a blank screen.
Mozer is one of the creative masterminds of a space that transports you to another reality, filled with wild art, crazy sculptures and endless knick knacks to look at.
He’s also smart enough to see what the future looks like for the industry.
"We have a full bar; we have a full restaurant, we have live music here. We have all kinds of things that we can do, but it doesn’t mean that anybody is going to do it," Mozer said. "I’m providing a service that nobody wants right now. It’s best to mitigate your losses right now in anticipation that this is not going to last forever."
For a space that uses an old fire truck to house the outdoor movie projector and an old school bus as a stage, it’s not difficult to get creative.
Ben is now changing his business model, selling subscriptions to his arts venue. The monthly membership is aimed at bringing customers back. He hopes that when the pandemic ends, it can become a cultural hub beyond the movie theater, featuring music, dancing, cooking and much more.
The memberships are already on sale, with the venue open limited hours during the pandemic.
"I don’t want to not be a movie theater, but I definitely don’t want to be thought of as a movie theater," said Mozer. "Chain theaters, I don’t see a lot of future for. Small venues like me need to figure out their place in a community and adapt to that. This is my way to do that."
Mozer says there are days where he spends more on buying beer for potential customers to drink than he actually makes in profits. He says it’s never even crossed his mind to shut down permanently.
Now he hopes The Lyric will one day sound a little more like what it used to.
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