Old meets new in former Falls Theater, now entertainment center

CUYAHOGA Falls-Old dramas meet in the former residence of the Falls Theater.

The building used to be the site of the historic Fall St. in the city’s city center, at 2220 Front Street, and is now the home of The Workz. The mall, entertainment center, restaurants and bars are scheduled to open on Monday.

Co-owner Tim Frankish (Tim Frankish) is also marketing and entertainment director, based on this, it took 2.5 years to transform the interior of the building into an entertainment venue.

Frankish said: "It must be a long process, but we are excited about how everything came about."

He said that he and his partners Melissa Barnes, Chris Carpenter, and Kim Green were very familiar with the historical part of the building and its uniqueness. Features "love at first sight".

"When we saw the crown shape and stained glass, we knew that this place is very distinctive, there is a feeling, there is a resonance," Franksh said. "We like it. It's amazing."

Walking through Workz is like traveling to different eras in a time machine.

The virtual reality game provided on the main floor is in 2021, but the Speakeazy on the bottom floor provides the atmosphere of the 1920s, with bartenders wearing prohibitive-era clothes. The Xers generation might like to watch video games from the 1980s, such as Space Invaders and Mario Brothers in the social room by the front door. A movie projector from the early 1960s is displayed next to the main bar.

There are many examples, for example, the owner paid homage to the theater that the building once contained, and the era of the "Roaring Twenties" when the building originated.

Cinema-style subtitle signs hang above the entrance of The Workz. Frankish said he worked with the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society to install the subtitles. Although it was not the original subtitles, efforts were made to replicate it.

The social room is an area where people can sit, visit and play some retro video games as well as some old (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and new (Stranger Things) pinball games. This is one of the places where customers can go while waiting for a meal. Some of the original seats in the Falls Theater are being restored and will be placed in the front windows.

Customers who want a quiet environment can head to Manchester Hall, which has historical photos of Front Street and the Falls Theatre.

"It's important for us to include some art in the room," Franksh said as he pointed out his photo on the wall.

Before entering the main floor, the client will walk past one of the many artifacts found in the building: a cast iron film projector from the early 1960s.

Frankish said: "It's so cool that we have it." "It's important to us, so when people come in, they can see the actual history here."

The original projectors are in the storage shed, just like the old theater stage speakers, and Frankish says they are "about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle."

The main floor offers 23 games, from the traditional ice hockey area to basketball shooting games to modern virtual reality games. In one game, customers can put on virtual reality goggles and "can ride a roller coaster here without leaving," Frankish said

There is a four-player virtual reality game center where players can have snowball fights, cook or shoot zombies.

"This is a totally immersive experience," Franksh said. "[Participants wear] a headset so you can talk back and forth. Put on a vest. In the VR room, this is really amazing."

There are four duck-foot bowling lanes in the play area. Compared with the traditional bowling game, the ball and pins in the duck game are smaller and the fairway is shorter. Every bowler has 3 chances per frame (instead of 2) to try to knock down all 10 pins. One lane can be rented for up to four hours, one hour.

The main dining area is located downstairs from the gaming area, with several TVs on the wall. The elevated stages on both sides of the dining area will be used for music performances and as additional areas for customers to eat. When arranging a band performance, the railings on the edge of the stage (the original floor of the theater when it was first opened) can be removed and removed.

The mezzanine lounge is located on the opposite side of the building, overlooking the gaming and dining area. The second floor area provides seating where people can enjoy drinks, small plates of food and table shuffleboard games.

Frank said, "Kids like that." "That's a fun game."

Frankish said his crew must repair and retain some of the crown moldings in the mezzanine lounge on the second floor to ensure the historical tax credit for the project.

Frankish said: "The finished surface (formed on the top) is actually what the building looks like when it is newly opened." "The color of the paint, the design... are all hand-painted."

Francis said that the frame on the stage also had the "original color scheme" when the theater was first opened.

Frankish said: "We absolutely love the way it appears." "It's beautiful."

More historical figures can be found in the lower Speakeazy. Clients must be at least 21 years old to step up the steps and enter an area with a bar, blue velvet sofas and other seats. If the customer is interested in participating in an impromptu concert, place a guitar and stool in the area under the steps. Customers can enjoy various types of bourbon and whiskey, as well as small plates of food.

The name of the drink also pays tribute to the world a century ago: Wright Stuff, Gatsby and All That Jazz.

Speakeazy bartenders will be dressed in 1920s costumes and they are learning some historical facts about the building so that they can answer questions from curious customers.

Frankish said: "This is an experience here."

Speakeazy showed an old water pump that was used to keep the movie projector cool.

Frankish said: "We think we need to keep this." "It must be in this room again before people can see it."

When Workz opened on Monday, February 1, Speakeazy's first day of business was February 4.

A few years ago, at a Chamber of Commerce event, Mayor Don Walters suggested to Frankish that he consider using the former waterfall theater building for commercial activities. When Frankish visited the building for the first time, he stated that his initial reaction was "absolutely no way" to place his business in the building.

He thought it needed too much renovation and renovation, but his team quickly realized that the building’s historical features gave it unique value.

Now, Walters says he is "excited" about the company that is about to open.

Walters said: "This project has restored this sense of history and nostalgia for many of us."

Kaylee Piper, executive director of the downtown Cuyahoga Falls Partnership, added that she is grateful that the Falls Theatre will continue to move forward with the opening of this entertainment venue.

Piper said: “This building is the wealth of our community. Now, it will illuminate the front street with a marquee logo, inviting residents and visitors to our historic city center to experience games, live music, food and a fun Social place."

Workz has three full-time employees and 62 part-time employees.

Frankish declined to disclose the total investment in the project.

According to the current statewide COVID-19 curfew, Workz is open from 11 am to 11 pm daily.

The site will follow all COVID-19 guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control. Customers must wear masks unless they eat actively. According to Frankish, barriers will be set up in certain areas, and attractions and play areas will be cleared after each use. He said that the entire factory will have disinfection stations and pointed out that his staff will monitor the number of people in the building.

Frankish said: "We will monitor the number of guests in our facilities and limit the number of people entering when these numbers are reached." "The number of our facilities in each area is different, and we will constantly review the guidelines to ensure Safety of staff and guests." 

The Falls Theater was built in 1925 by the Falls Theater Company. It is a silent movie theater with retail stores and high-rise apartments.

It was the first cinema in the city, and it was once one of the three cinemas in the city. According to the introduction of The Workz website, the waterfall theater initially accommodated 1,000 people, and the first film was screened in August 1928. When the theater was converted to Cinerama in 1962, the number of seats dropped to 630.

The venue was the first cinema until 1978. At that time, Loew donated the theater to the city, who leased the building to the theater operator for eight years. Since 1986, the theater has been vacant most of the time. "

The theater is included in the National Register of Historic Places.