Booze You Can Use

Balboa Theater to Get Into the Beer and Wine Game

The Balboa, last week.
The Balboa, last week. Photo: Facebook

In addition to the still ongoing effort by the Roxie Theater on 16th Street to get a license to sell beer and wine (something we’re eagerly awaiting), Grub Street discovers this morning that the Balboa Theater (3630 Balboa Street) in the Outer Richmond is applying for their own license. Both independent theaters were the subject of a Wall Street Journal piece in September about the changing economics of operating such niche, neighborhood cinemas — the Roxie, which dates to 1909, is actually the oldest continually operating movie theater in the country and the second oldest in the world, and it’s become a non-profit receiving grant and membership funding. Look for people hopefully to be boozing it up at the Balboa Theater by spring, and we’ll update you as soon as there’s movement on the booze front at the Roxie. Right now they’re in the middle of a Kickstarter campaign in an attempt to raise $60,000 to support some continued upgrades and redesign their website.

Balboa Theater to Get Into the Beer and Wine Game