Robert Saunders
Special to the Valley News
Heidi Robertson is the CEO and owner of Tristone Cinemas which operates the Temeku Multiplex Theater in Temecula, and the Jurupa 14 Multiplex in Jurupa Valley. Ms. Robertson, is an accomplished finance professional who has held many senior positions as an executive manager for many business organizations in her tenure but has decided to invest right here in the Temecula Valley where she lives.
“It has been a wild ride trying to get theaters off the ground, rehabbing them for the community and negotiating with the big studios for film product. We’re an independent outfit and trying to find our niche competing against large corporate theaters has its challenges,” Robertson said.
She has a deep sense of obligation to contribute here in the community and provide affordable entertainment. “It is a great way of enhancing the quality of life here,” stated Heidi. She further states, “Overall, our value for theater entertainment is more affordable. We have discounts for military and seniors including a discount bargain day. With our events coming up once a month showing classics like Beetlejuice, costume contests, trivia, restaurant quality food and memorabilia nights, you really get a feeling for the hometown flair.”
It’s more than just a corporate welcome like other theaters. Where else do you get the owner of a theater chain living in the same community watching the same movies with your own patrons?
Ms. Roberts explains that dedication to the community also comes from her employees. She explained that she came across multiple challenges in getting the Temeku reopened for business. The financial loans were being rescheduled, shareholders wanted to sell back shares, and cost overruns from their contractors were skyrocketing for the rebuild at an exponential rate. All the while Ms. Roberts desperately tried to keep her employees on payroll, despite the shutting down of doors during the Covid epidemic, which really hurt theaters all over. These problems delayed the opening from November 2022 until finally opening in February 11, 2023.
Ms. Roberts said, “My employees are the best in the world. When we had to install seats that weighed one hundred and fifty pounds, they rose to the occasion and carried them all in to help in the rebuild—what a great crew!”
In addition, the Temeku app for purchasing tickets is cheaper than Fandango’s and you can even order your food online ahead of time to have it ready when you show up. Heidi explains that anyone can see a movie anywhere but coming to their theaters personifies the whole Temecula vibe for guests. “In fact, in just three visits a patron already gets a free movie ticket and other goodies later on. We have an excellent loyalty program.”
“This is my favorite all time theater,” states 16-year-old patron Mehagan Gerish from Temecula. “I have been coming here since I was really little—even back then this theater had a cozy personality all its own, different from all the rest. It wasn’t the fanciest back then but sure was fun—especially during the holidays!” Another patron Michael Gregory states, “The theater always had an odd beat of different films but the employees themselves seem to mimic the personality of the place—it was a place that I could just forget about everything and just spend a couple of hours doing something affordable and fun at the same time-. My son and I still come to this theater every Tuesday as a father and son tradition. Plus, I like supporting the independents—the folks of our own community.”
Mrs. Roberts explains all her experience in accounting methods, in financing projects, in negotiations and contracts, and having the ability to hire smart people for excellent marketing procedures in addition to having a vision to manifest the best customer experience for her patrons has been the greatest challenge of her life. Mrs. Roberts admits, “you try and account for anything that could possibly go wrong with dates, schedules, partners and financing but life always seems to throw you variables you never thought of. For example, whoever thought theaters would close from a pandemic?
This article is dedicated to Arne Duncan; last of the old-time great Projectionists.
