The lights are about to go out at one of Copperas Cove’s most familiar landmarks. The Cove Theater, a single-screen movie house that first opened in 1950, will close its doors on May 31. Co-owners Andy Remedies and Betina Cash, who brought the dormant venue back to life in 2021, say they are stepping back to focus on other downtown businesses. The move leaves a marquee-size question hanging over one of the city’s most visible small-business anchors as residents and promoters wait to see if someone else will step in.
As reported by MySA, Remedies and Cash wrote on Facebook that “we have loved running the theater” but need to put their time, energy and capital into other ventures. They told MySA that their lease is expiring soon and that they hope a new operator will take over. If no tenant appears, though, they plan to sell a large portion of the equipment, including the commercial projector and surround sound system. They added that those potential moves fit into a longer-term strategy to lean into their other downtown projects.
From Vacancy To Revival
The Cove had already survived one long intermission. The theater went dark after a 2009 closure, even as its mid-20th-century bones remained a quiet presence downtown. KWTX reported that Remedies and Cash bought and renovated the long-idle building, then reopened the theater in 2021 with movies and live events aimed at drawing visitors back to the city’s core. That comeback was celebrated locally as proof that Copperas Cove’s downtown could still support small, independent venues.
Owners’ Other Downtown Bets
Remedies and Cash have not exactly been sitting still. They opened Herb & Earnie’s Family Diner in 2022, then launched Main St. Mercantile last year. The Copperas Cove EDC noted that Main St. Mercantile at 210 S Main received a Business Improvement Grant to help get off the ground, a sign of local buy-in for their downtown push. Lampasas Radio has also highlighted the couple’s hands-on style in running neighborhood businesses, from flipping lights on at the theater to greeting customers across their other spots.
What Comes Next For The Space
With the May 31 closing date set, Remedies and Cash say they are still hoping someone will lease the theater and keep screenings and events going. If that does not happen, they intend to move ahead with selling equipment and winding down operations. MySA lists the theater’s downtown address as 111 W. Ave. D and reports that the couple are weighing how much more to invest in a building they do not own. The Cove Theater website still lists contact information for event promoters and a phone number for anyone interested in rentals or equipment.
The closing is a setback for downtown momentum and a reminder of how easily independent cultural spaces can vanish, even when the community is cheering them on. The Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce previously named The Cove its downtown business of the month, a nod to the theater’s outsized role in local life that now reads a bit like a farewell tribute.
