Moxie Cinema finds new home in Wilhoit Plaza

The small downtown theater popular for its art-house and independent flicks is moving less than a mile from its home at 408 W. Walnut St. and into a 4,300-square-foot unit in Wilhoit Plaza at Jefferson Avenue and Pershing Street, according to Dan Chilton.

The space – more than double the theater’s current digs – will have room for two screens instead of one, at least 140 seats compared to 75 now, a full lobby and expanded restrooms.

The Chiltons have signed a lease with Wilhoit Plaza renovator Matt Miller Co. and are working with the developer’s in-house architects to design the theater’s interior. Plans for the lobby call for plush furniture to entice customers to visit before and after a show, Chilton said. Moving and new equipment costs aren’t nailed down yet, according to Chilton, but Miller – a frequent Moxie customer – is providing an allowance-per-square-foot on the lease to finance infill. Chilton would not disclose the lease rate.

Other additions will include an expanded menu and drink list, about four or five new employees and a switch to a dual platter system for movie projection, versus the current reel-to-reel system at the Moxie.

The Chiltons knew in fall 2005, when they opened the Moxie, that they would need more space eventually – but that need became apparent in only its second year, when customer demand exploded and shows began selling out regularly, Chilton said. In searching for a new location, the owners never looked beyond downtown.

“Downtown has always been the only place we wanted to have the Moxie,” Chilton said.

Chilton said the new space’s proximity to Missouri State University and an MSU shuttle stop, as well as increased foot traffic generated from neighboring businesses such as the YMCA and Quizno’s, are also perks.

“Maybe people who didn’t even know we were around might discover us simply from walking to the Y one day,” Chilton said. “That’s a huge component.”

The Chiltons are shooting for a Sept. 1 soft opening and a Sept. 5 grand opening during First Friday Art Walk. Chilton said he anticipates the Moxie will close for about two weeks at the end of August.

Chilton will post updates on the Moxie’s move via his blog on the Moxie Web site, blog.moxiecinema.com.