The Maple Theater, a cinema lovers favorite in Bloomfield Township, has closed its doors

In another blow to Detroit area movie fans, the Maple Theater in Bloomfield Township is permanently closed as of Monday.

A statement from Jon and Lauren Goldstein of Cloud Nine Partners on the Maple’s website said that their lease has expired and “after months of difficult deliberations, we have decided that it is time to end our run as operators of this wonderful institution.”

The Goldsteins expressed that it has been their honor to be stewards of the Oakland County cinema lovers hub for past 12 years and thanked “everyone who bought a ticket, ate a meal or worked a shift.”

A longer announcement on the Maple’s Facebook page cited the huge financial impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on independent theaters. Not only did art houses experience temporary closings under pandemic safety rules but they also have struggled across the country to regain the audiences that have shifted to streaming movies at home over the past few years.

“We are proud that we stayed open and continued to serve people during such a crazy time. We worked hard to try to return near to pre-pandemic attendance, and while there are tangible glimmers of hope, we are unable to make the financial commitment necessary to keep The Maple a first-class establishment,” the Goldsteins offered as an explanation for the closing.

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“Anything less would tarnish what we worked so hard over these years to build."

The Maple was showing best picture Oscar nominees "American Fiction" and "The Zone of Interest" along with "The Boys in the Boat" and "Freud's Last Session" in the days before its closing.

The closing of the Maple Theater’s doors follows the loss of Royal Oak’s Main Art Theatre, which was torn down in July 2022 despite a community effort to save the art house cinema. Also facing an uncertain future is Cinema Detroit, the indie theater that left its Midtown Detroit location in June 2023 and continues to search for a new permanent home.

Opened in 1977 and tucked behind a strip mall that’s home to Trader Joe’s and the Nino Salvaggio marketplace among other businesses, the Maple was extensively updated during the Goldsteins' years of operation. Its three theaters were home to regular screenings and special events, including the popular Secret Cinema showings.

The Maple quickly developed a reputation as a go-to site for art films, including edgy fare like 1981's "Diva" and 1982's "Liquid Sky," Over the decades, it gained a loyal following of older cineastes who relied on the theater to keep up with the latest top-quality releases.

The statement from the Maple detailed an agreement the theater has made with Emagine Entertainment to honor its Elite Memberships with a complimentary one-year Emagine Extras membership. Maple gift cards can be exchanged with an Emagine gift card at the Birmingham 8 theater. Current pre-purchased tickets will be refunded.

Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: The Maple Theater in Bloomfield Township has closed its doors