Los Banos’ Crest Theater will receive makeover, new life. Here’s what it will become
The Crest Theater in Los Banos will come alive again this year, not as a place to see movies, but as an upscale sports bar and events center. Although it won’t feature cinema, it will in many ways still be the Crest Theater Los Banos old-timers remember.
As part of the large plan to rejuvenate Los Banos’ downtown businesses, two developers who have created successful sports bars in Turlock and Atwater, each called “Jams@209 Sports Bar and Grill,” will be adding a third venue for sports fans in Los Banos.
David Sousa and Muki Sahota decided to create the third point of a geographical triangle, in a facility that goes beyond what they did in Turlock and Atwater. In their Los Banos development they’ve taken an investor’s risk to return the historical Crest Theater site to its original luster, maintaining the art deco style that made the building appealing.
“It would have been a lot cheaper to build a new structure,” Sousa said. “It would have even been cheaper to tear down the old Crest and construct a new building on that site, but we wanted to do something memorable, something that maintains the history of Los Banos.
“It will take a lot of planning, effort and time besides money to do this,” Sousa added. “We have already begun working on the building’s facade, but to do a complete building renovation it will take us almost a year. We hope to open just before Christmas 2020.”
When it originally opened in 1949, the Crest Theater was considered the jewel of downtown Los Banos. During the 1950s and ‘60s it was the place to be, for adults and teenagers. But in the early 1970s patrons and revenue declined sharply, and it closed.
In the past half-century the building has housed a number of different enterprises, and for several years served as a church. There were a few attempts to revive it as a theater. But over the course of its 70-year life span, the building has in many ways deteriorated.
Sousa hopes that the renewed Crest will be an anchor for downtown development in Los Banos.
“I’d love to see the downtown as a destination place,” he said, “where people could walk around and enjoy themselves.”
Sousa’s idea fits within the current vision of the Los Banos Downtown Association, especially since it hired Sharon Silva to be its executive director. Silva was instrumental in revitalizing Turlock’s downtown and is now using a similar approach in Los Banos. Recently, Silva persuaded Los Banos property owners to tax themselves to create downtown improvements.
Sousa and Sahota have already hired architects and contractors to work on the Crest and have been working with Los Banos city staff in their planning. They hope to create in the Crest building both an appealing sports bar featuring craft beers and a successful events center for weddings, parties and other social gatherings.
A Google search of “Crest Theater, Los Banos” will yield many sites that describe it as a historical treasure, especially among movie theater buffs, including photos of its iconic exterior and its unique art deco interior.
Readers of internet sites will find lively stories and fond memories of the old Crest, many of which focus on the theater’s manager, Mrs. Benny Silva. Silva was renowned for running a tight and safe theater ship, showing family-friendly movies and ensuring that theater goers of all ages followed rules of cinema decorum.
Los Banos old-timers tell many stories about good times they had at the Crest. Anyone who mentions the Crest Theater at the Los Banos Drug Store soda fountain will hear stories come pouring out.
People who appreciate historical restoration will be pleased that Sousa and Sahota will be trying to preserve the history and décor of the Crest. As much as Los Banos has changed, expanding from a population of 10,000 to a city of 40,000, it has a rich and memorable past as a lively small town.
Los Banos residents will be closely watching updates during the new year about the Crest restoration. Long-time residents will want to see how closely the new Crest keeps the art and architecture of the old Crest. Younger persons will look forward to the details about the new sports bar.
Over the past 50 years many persons have tried and failed to rejuvenate the Crest, but Sharon Silva feels confident this project will be successful.
“The Downtown Association appreciates the significant investment David Sousa and Muki Sahota are making in their project and in our community,” she said. “This will provide momentum for other downtown businesses to renovate and create a synergy that will lead to success,” Silva added. “I think Los Banos is ready for this, and I think its residents will appreciate the new opportunities their city’s downtown, especially the Crest, will provide.”
John Spevak wrote this for the Los Banos Enterprise. His email is john.spevak@gmail.com.
This story was originally published January 4, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
