The new owners of the Heights Theater, Music Box, promise to keep the aesthetic of the space the same. (Davis Steen)
On January 2, 2026, the Heights Theater, 3951 Central Ave. NE, will close for one week. When it reopens on January 9, the historic venue will have a new owner.
Music Box Theatre, a film house in the Southport Corridor area of Chicago will buy the one-screen cinema from Tom Letness, the owner and operator since 1998.
Along with the company, Ryan Oestreich will be a co-owner of the Heights Theater. He is currently the general manager at the Music Box Theatre.
“I remember (Letness) from my time up there in Minneapolis,” Oestreich said during a phone interview. “I worked for the Film Society (out of the Main Theater, 115 Main St. SE) on and off for six years.”
Oestreich and the Music Box Theatre, which is owned by Southport Music Box Corporation, have seen growth in smaller, art-house style cinemas since the pandemic. This runs counter to multiplex-style theaters, like AMC or Marcus, which have seen significant decline recently.
With Letness looking to retire, Music Box saw the opportunity to expand the business.
“At some point or another, a small business owner is either going to sell their business, close their business, or … do some sort of lease to buy because they can’t just run it forever,” Oestreich said.
Photos from the annual “White Christmas” showing in 2024. The organ player is a staple at the Heights Theater. The Music Box Theatre has the same tradition. (Davis Steen)
One theater, two theater
The theater in Chicago and the one in Columbia Heights are similar. Music Box started in 1929; Heights in 1926. Both have organ players who entertain before showings.
The new owners’ first theater is slightly larger, however. Music Box has two screens, while Heights has only one. The Chicago location can seat 748 people in its larger space; Heights can seat 240.
One of the largest money makers for the Heights Theater over the past two decades has been the annual “White Christmas” showings, covered in the December 18, 2024 edition of the Northeaster.
“We’ve been doing (“White Christmas” showings) for 42 years. And he’s (Letness) been doing it for like 20 years,” Oestreich said. “It’s so important to maintain those things.”
Dairy Queen franchise to disappear
One significant change will be coming to the space when Music Box Theatre takes over. More specifically: the space just outside the theater.
“The Dairy Queen from that location will cease to exist,” Oestreich said. “There’s nothing we can do.”
Letness currently owns the storefront.
Minnesota Administrative Rule 2860.4400 states “…the franchisee to be substituted meets the present qualifications and standards required of the franchisees.” Music Box does not meet those standards.
“Somebody at some point is going to take the Columbia Heights franchise license from Dairy Queen and open a new one,” Oestreich said. “That location (outside of Heights Theater) will not be one.”
The building will not be torn down. Instead, it will be leased out to other companies that fit in with the Heights Theater model, Oestreich said. “We don’t want it to stay empty.”
Staying the same
The new owners of the theater say they will keep the building just as Letness left it, despite their inability to purchase the Dairy Queen.
“We’re not going to change any facade. We’re not going to repaint. What’s there right now is so great,” Oestreich said. “We’re just going to keep doing it. If anything, we’re going to just do more.”
With Letness taking on most leadership jobs at the Heights Theater, the cinema couldn’t be open more than his own capacity. The press release for the sale boasts that there will be late-night screenings on Fridays and Saturday and kids’ programming on Saturday mornings.
“We’re going to do a family-friendly program of classic movies,” Oestreich said. “I’m really excited to find the right ways to complement the current film scene in the Twin Cities, because there there’s a really good one already.”
Music Box’s sister company, Music Box Films, is also a distributor of independent and international movies. Oestreich said those movies could find their way into the programming as well.
Tom Letness ran the popcorn machine that night, but did much more on a daily basis for the theater since he bought the space in 1998 and restored it back to its “initial glory.” (Davis Steen)
Roll credits
Tom Letness purchased the Heights Theater in 1998 and brought it back to its “initial glory” over the next decade. Over the last 27 years, he kept the theater running, showing new and classic films.
“The Heights has always been about celebrating great films with great people,” Letness wrote. “I’m thrilled to pass it on to Music Box Theatre, whose passion for cinema and commitment to presentation match what I’ve built here.”
The final showing of Letness’ tenure as owner and proprietor will be the annual “Holiday Inn” New Year’s Day showing. After that, the theater will reopen on January 9 with the 2025 dramedy “Father Mother Sister Brother.”
“(Letness) is the owner, operator, GM (general manager) and night manager,” Oestreich said. “The only real change people are going to notice in the theater, for folks who are regulars, is that Tom won’t be there.”