After more than 20 years in operation, Maya Cinemas in downtown Salinas has permanently closed as of Wednesday, Sept. 9.
Signs on the Main Street building's windows read, “For more than two decades, you’ve shared countless moments with us. As our Salinas location closes, we want to say thank you for choosing to spend your time with us and for making us part of your lives. It has been a privilege to serve you.”
Salinas resident Sandra Iveth Santos says she is heartbroken that the movie theater has shuttered.
"Maya Cinemas represented more than a movie place for us, it was a time to share with friends, family, and significant others,” says Santos, who is president of the Oaxacan cultural festival La Guelaguetza. “Not only that, but it was a place where non-English speaking residents would go to watch the new releases in Spanish.”
The Salinas location was the first Maya Cinemas, which opened in July 2005 as a vision of founder Moctesuma Esparza to create first-run, megaplex movie theaters in underserved, family-oriented, Latino-dominant communities lacking first-run film entertainment options, according to the Maya Cinema webpage.
Locally, it screened not only first-run hits but also films from local filmmakers and events such as the Watsonville Film Festival and screenings in partnership with the National Steinbeck Center, in addition to Q&As and other presentations.
The other cities in California with Maya Cinemas locations are Bakersfield, Chino, Delano, Fresno and Pittsburg. Maya Cinemas opened in Nevada in 2019 in North Las Vegas.
Maya Cinemas CEO Francisco Schlotterbeck did not respond to requests for comment. No reason for the closure has been provided.
The closure comes just after Bliss Boutique across the street announced in July that it would close both retail locations in Salinas and Monterey. “The closure of this theater shows a crude reality on how businesses in downtown are being impacted by the high cost of living,” Santos adds.
In downtown Monterey, a recent effort by a newly formed nonprofit to reopen Osio Theater fell apart amid lease negotiations with the property owner.
Colleen Bailey, president and CEO of the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce, says she does not know why Maya Cinemas closed, but she is hopeful about a potential path forward. “People are reaching out to the owners to see if this can be salvaged,” she says.
“I don’t think it’s generally that downtowns are not happening,” Bailey adds. “I think right now the economy is hurting everybody. There is no question about that. People are just not buying a lot of extras. If [your product or service] is not essential, they may wait until gas prices come down.”