FORT BRAGG, 8/15/25 — Mendocino Coast moviegoers can breathe a sigh of relief as the Coast Cinemas in Fort Bragg will remain a theater, with no interruption in service.
Residents had feared losing the town’s only cinema when owners Tom and Maxine Lazzarini and their daughter Laurie Moore said last year they were ready to retire after operating the Coast Cinemas for more than five decades. Through a Facebook post, they announced the theater was for sale, and, while they expressed hope new buyers would keep it a theater, that was out of their control.
“It’s now time for us to relinquish the theatre to someone else. Ultimately the market will dictate whether it stays a theatre, or the building is put to another use,” read the April 2024 post, which was signed by all three family members.
The post was quickly shared more than 200 times. Comments largely congratulated the owners on their retirement and thanked them for years of service, but expressed concern over losing the only theater in the area – especially after Noyo Bowl, the coast’s only bowling alley, closed in recent years, leaving locals with limited options for family-friendly activities on the coast. The nearest theaters are in Willits or Ukiah, each at least an hour’s drive from Fort Bragg.
But welcome news arrived last week when Desiree and Terry Ramos announced they have purchased the 60-year-old cinema and plan to keep operating it.
“This is such an important piece of the community, and we really want to expand our reach and make this a hub for the greater community,” Desiree said.
The sale that took place actually began as a joke.
“Some friends sent me the theater listing back in April 2024 and just said, ‘Do it, do it, do it.’ We all thought it was a laugh,” said Desiree, who became a permanent resident of the Mendocino Coast in 2020 after moving from the Bay Area with her husband.
Ramos said the laugh that she and her husband shared became a serious decision to move forward when they heard rumors the theater would close this summer, whether or not there was a buyer. “When we heard that it was imminently closing, that just broke our hearts.’’
The purchase rescues a theater complex that opened in 1964 with a single, 682-seat screening room. At the time, it replaced an older State Theater that had been in existence since the 1920s. Designed by architect Gale Santocono and built by Noyo Theatres, the new venue was considered state-of-the-art. Over the years, it added screens and, despite industry changes and the rise of home streaming, kept its reputation as a place where the community could gather.
The Lazzarini family maintained the theater through the changing technological landscape and shifting economics, including the transition to digital projection and the shutdowns of the pandemic. Under Laurie Moore’s leadership in recent years, the Coast Cinemas stayed affordable, continued to host local events and held onto its small-town charm.
And now the theater’s future looks bright. Ramos said they are considering upgrades that would include the sale of beer and wine and adding diverse food options for people with dietary restrictions. She also said they’re considering expanding movies to show older movies as well as new releases and renting out spaces for private groups to show their own movies.
Ramos said she and her husband are excited to connect with the community on what locals want, and that they can be reached either on Facebook or in person as they plan to be onsite regularly in the coming months.
But first, Ramos said her husband has one project that’s top of the list.
“The number one thing my husband insisted on, and is happening immediately, and you probably wouldn’t know this, I didn’t know this, but there are no dividers in the men’s room between the urinals. So that was his number one priority,” Ramos said.
Great news re. saving the theater ! But it feels like there was one slight omission; the Arena Theater in Point Arena probably isn’t noticeably farther away (re. drive time) than the theaters in Ukiah and Willits.
I would value making contact with new owners, as I have been involved with renovation of the Lodi theater and have video, verbal and data references of what 3D laser scanning and how that can be beneficial in restoration process. I have all equipment, processing, and insurance necessary. I am located in Lakeport, and much more affordable than anyone located in SF Bay Area. I have extensive experience over 15 years of creating 3D point clouds and models to assist and make architectural processes more streamline. Please take this as a serious discussion and offer to simply engage in a discussion to pursue the opportunity to discuss further. I can provide more documentation as necessary. Thank you.
I think the beer and wine would be a mistake, especially with a bar so close to the theater.
Yes it would be a mistake, with the bar just being a couple blocks away, I would hate to see anything happen to the theater because of unruly people and the drunken behavior.
From my personal experience, the more prevalent issues for small independents are difficulties with ABC licensing, and the price of liability insurance for alcohol establishments. We experienced very few specific incidents before we stopped beer/wine service.
~ Logan Devine, GM @ the Noyo Theater in Willits
Congratulations to all. This is very good news! Classic movies and indie movies would be a great addition to the lineup.
I respectfully disagree. The act of drinking a beer or glass of wine while watching a movie is very different than going to a bar. The point is not to get drunk but enhance a relaxing (or entertaining) experience. Some of my favorite movie theaters serve food and drinks as well as popcorn, soda and candy (see Northern Lights Theatre Pub in Eugene, OR) and still have a great family-friendly community feel, so if they think they want to do it, it can enhance the movie experience. Just saying.