A few years after moving to Lutz, Wayne and Cindy Valenti decided to start a business on North Dale Mabry Highway. The concept of a movie theater with nightclub-style seating serving a wide variety of food and alcohol sounded like one with potential, and offered a change of pace from traditional movie-going.
They named it Tampa Pitcher Show.
That was back in 1982. More than three decades years later, some things haven’t changed much.
“We’ve lived in the same place and worked in the same place for over 30 years,” Wayne Valenti said with a laugh.
Unfortunately, the business climate for Tampa Pitcher Show is no laughing matter. Entertainment competition and technology have made success more difficult, and the venue is now in danger of closing. The 220-seat theater that used to have frequent sellouts looks empty many nights, and getting prints for their 35mm projector (the same one they opened with) is getting more and more difficult. Some movies, like last year’s “Gravity,” aren’t released on 35mm film at all. It was a digital-only release, and Tampa Pitcher Show isn’t equipped to show movies in that format.
To turn things around, the business has turned to the Internet for help. A Kickstarter program has been launched in order to raise $30,000 — roughly half the cost of the digital upgrade. Kickstarter is a crowdsourcing platform where someone can pitch an idea, and convince everyday people to pledge donations for that idea from their computer or cell phone. The amounts can be as little as $1 and go up to several thousand dollars.
Kickstarter launched in 2009, practically redefining how ideas can be financed. Those who contribute money, however, are considered donors and not investors. That’s because they don’t actually get any ownership or product in return for that pledge, except incentives offered by the group looking for pledges based on how much is contributed.
Valenti is offering incentives to those who contribute to the Tampa Picture Show Kickstarter. They range from a movie ticket and website recognition for a $10 contribution, up to a private movie screening for 75 people with a $2,000 donation — with food and soft drinks included.
“We need to let people know that they’re not just donating. They’re getting something for their money,” Valenti said.
One person has already taken them up on the private movie screening. Tom Mitchell, also a small business owner with a location not far from Tampa Pitcher Show, wanted to demonstrate his support of the Valentis, especially since he is a longtime patron and fan of the theater.
“It’s a great theater,” Mitchell said. “We’ve enjoyed going there for a long time.”
He finds the ticket prices to be cheaper than a traditional multiplex, with a wide variety of food and drink available, and the opportunity to support a local business. He plans to treat some of his employees at Actsoft to a movie with the perk he earned for the donation.
While Tampa Pitcher Show has raised more than $5,000 so far, the theater might not see a penny of it. If a project doesn’t meet its fundraising goal in the specified time — in this case, by Feb. 1 — all donations are returned and the company gets no money.
While they hope to meet that goal, Valenti said he can’t afford to wait for it, either. Tampa Picture Show already is beginning the digital upgrade process, with the understanding that the equipment will have to be returned if they don’t have the money to pay it off.
Installing the system will allow customers to enjoy better picture and sound, and have access to movies that aren’t distributed in the old format. But failing to make the digital conversion permanent would be devastating to a business that’s already struggling to keep up with the times, and make it harder for the Valentis to keep the small business they’ve had for more than three decades.
“We’ve got our fingers crossed,” Valenti said. “We need it to work.”
Tampa Pitcher Show is located at 14416 N. Dale Mabry Highway. For more information about the company’s Kickstarter project, visit SaveTampaPitcherShow.com.
