The Cobar Entertainment Centre is open for business
Wednesday January 27, 2010
Mayor Lilliane Brady, Alix Schaefer and Mark Workman at Friday night’s official opening of the Cobar Entertainment Centre.
The Cobar Entertainment Centre opened its doors on Friday night with the screening of the popular newly released movie ‘Twilight — New Moon’.
Promising to offer much more than movies, new proprietor, Alix Shaefer, has re-opened the former Town Hall Cinema and given it a new name.
“I plan to expand the complex and will be opening a gaming arcade out the back (hopefully by the end of February).
“I also want to be able to offer more events, movie premiere nights, party plans and I have an idea to host an Air Guitar competition and more fun stuff for kids,” Mr Schaefer said.
Just out of school and only 18 years of age, Mr Schaefer said he felt confident that he could make the business work.
“I did retail at school and I owe a lot to my teacher Mr [John] Carswell who gave me a lot of support when I talked to him about my idea to open the cinema.”
Mr Schaefer also received help from the Cobar Enterprise Facilitation (CEF) committee and facilitator Mark Workman.
“Mark helped me with everything from the word go,” Mr Schaefer said.
“He helped me with planning it all out, he gave me some ideas to work on and also helped me to organise funding.
“He was absolutely fantastic and I would totally recommend Mark to anyone thinking of starting up a business.”
Mr Workman said Mr Schaefer had been an ideal candidate for the CEF project and that he was pleased to have been able to help Mr Schaefer to realise his dream to re-open the cinema.
“I helped Alex with his submission to council, his business plan for the bank and discussed financial management with him,” Mr Workman said.
“CEF provided him with marketing resources and put him in touch with other small cinema operators who were happy to help him.
“I also provided ongoing mentoring and helped him with project planning.”
Mr Workman said CEF board members also contributed to Mr Schaefer’s professional development and his negotiations with council.
The Cobar Entertainment Centre had a very successful first weekend of trading with 112 movie goers on Friday night with all other weekend sessions having 60 or more patrons attend.
Mr Schaefer currently employs five casual staff and hopes that as his business grows he will be able to employ more juniors.
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