PHOENIX — Call it nostalgia – all those places no longer open in the Valley we miss so much.
Skating rinks, arcades and old movie theaters are among the top businesses people wish were still open, according to a Reddit/Phoenix post this week.
Here are the most-mentioned places:
Frys Electronics
The big-box tech retailer had two locations in metro Phoenix open since the 90s. It shuttered in 2021 after years of declining business and the pandemic.
Each location had a different design. The store on Thunderbird Road west of Interstate 17 was Aztec-themed
Rula Bula
The Tempe Irish bar was on Mill Avenue for two decades. It was forced to close in 2021 after a developer purchased its historic building
But the owner, Steve Goumas, teamed up with ASU to host a pop-up version inside ASU's Mountain America Stadium from Nov. 10 to 16 of this year!
Ed Debevic's
The retro-style diner was located near 20th Street and Highland Avenue. It was popular in the 80s and 90s, then closed down in the early 2000s.
It was home to the "World’s Smallest Ice Cream Sundae."
Cine Capri
The historic theater was the "Grand Old Lady Of Cinema" in Arizona.
It was built especially for CinemaScope, 70mm, and 35mm widescreen movies, according to cinematreasures.org. It stood at 24th Street and Camelback Road.
The Cine Capri Theatre opened in 1966 and closed in January of 1998 with "Titanic."
Rollero
The Rollero Family Skating Center stood near 75th Avenue and Indian School Road until a fire caused the roof to collapse and forced it to close in 2017 after 56 years in business.
>> See more Rollero history
Scottsdale Six drive-in
The drive-in opened in 1977 on land leased from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, according to cinematreasures.org
The drive-in was open every day year-round and had a capacity of 1,800 cars. Admission is $5.25 per person with children under 11 free. Tuesday is discount night with an adult admission of $3.00.
It was operated by West Wind Drive-Ins who failed to renew their lease in 2011. It was demolished in 2014.
More mentions:
- Jutenhoops: Closed in 2005
- Phoenix Filmbar: Closed in 2022
- Metrocenter Mall: Closed in 2020
- Easley’s Fun Shop: Closed in 2018
- Cactus Cinema: Closed in the early 80s
- Smitty's: Closed in 1997
- Monti’s: Closed in 2014
- Yellow Front: Closed in 1990
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