Dinner and a Movie Is Back in Claremont Village: What's Changed at Walter's and the Old Laemmle

Daily Bulletin columnist David Allen walked from home to a Tuesday matinee at the new theater on 2nd Street. Two days later he walked back for a small VIP evening with the owner. On the Tuesday, he ran into fellow Laemmle regulars in the same auditorium. Allen tells the story in his October 11 Daily Bulletin column, and it sums up the Village this fall: the theater is back, and it is built for comfort.

Two blocks away, Walter's is open on Yale Avenue again after more than two years. For the first time since the fire of late August 2024, the Village has both a sit-down dinner and a first-run movie within walking distance, and both reopened in October. Neither came back trying to fit more people in. Both rebuilt around keeping people longer.

The theater cut its seats in half

Regency Theatres bought the Laemmle Claremont 5 for $4 million. The theater closed in January for a renovation, and Regency president Lyndon Golin described it to the Daily Bulletin as touching "every surface inside and out." It reopened October 2 as Regency Director's Cut at 450 West 2nd St., with little fanfare so the staff could settle in.

The number that matters is capacity. The theater used to hold 800 seats. With wide recliners and roomier aisles, it now holds 400, and 40 of those are in the front row. "You have to have this to compete," Golin told the Daily Bulletin. "It's easy to stay home. It's hard to go out."

In October, the Daily Bulletin reported $14.50 for regular admission, $12.50 for matinees and $11.50 for children and seniors, and called those prices close to what Laemmle charged. City Manager Adam Pirrie, a regular at the Claremont 5, told the paper that Golin "understands pricing" and understands the competition from the AMC 12 at Montclair Place. Regency's own theater page carries the current prices.

The theater's history explains why its return matters so much. When Laemmle opened the Claremont 5 in 2007 as part of the expanded downtown, it was the town's first movie theater since the Village Theatre shut down in 1979. The building faces a public square with restaurants and shops on the other three corners. Golin's own description was "a small-town Main Street."

Walter's added a lounge and later nights

Walter's Restaurant & Bar at 310 N. Yale Ave. reopened October 14. Before that came fire cleanup and a long remodel. General manager Dawoud Ghafarshad told the Claremont Courier that crews pulled old wiring and debris out of the attics, installed a new roof and camera systems, and set new kitchen protocols.

The redesign follows the same idea as the theater, with more room to settle in. Ghafarshad told the Courier that the front entrance and front dining room used to sit on two levels and are now one. The bar was redone, a lounge now fills the front of the building, booths line the windows, and the sidewalk patio was updated. The restaurant's site says the new bar and lounge serve cocktails and wine and stay open late Thursday through Sunday until 1:30 a.m.

The dining room still serves Afghan classics, kabobs, steaks, seafood, pasta and pizza. Ghafarshad described the menu to the Courier as "a bit smaller, with more modern plating and presentation," and said more dishes, new and old, will return over time. A statement on the restaurant's site says menu prices went up because of labor and food costs, and fresh-baked bread at the table now has a charge. The quick-service platters near the entrance are still sold, now at the south end of the building.

Private events are back too. The site lists the Afghan Room, the VIP Room, the Cottage and the patios for weddings, birthdays and business dinners.

How a week lines up now

With both businesses open, an evening on foot comes down to timing. The hours below are posted on Walter's site. The theater prices come from the Daily Bulletin's October report.

Midweek nights are the clearest fit. On Tuesday, the theater's cheapest day falls on a night Walter's has happy hour and dinner. On Wednesday, the senior matinee window closes at 5:15 p.m., which leaves time to walk over for an early dinner. The Wednesday vintage film, which Golin told the Daily Bulletin he picks himself, gives that night a regular repertory slot. The week the column ran, it was "Misery."

Thursday through Sunday, the lounge's 1:30 a.m. close means a late show can still end with a drink nearby. Who counts as a senior at the theater can vary. In October, a staff member, Golin and the website each gave a different age, and the website's "61 and better" is the one to check.

Both are still adding pieces

Neither place reopened all at once. In October, concessions at the theater were popcorn and candy. Golin told the Daily Bulletin that bar bites such as chicken tenders and pizza, along with beer and wine, were planned. Guests will order at the counter and have the food brought to their seats, ideally before the trailers end. It won't be full dine-in service. He also said he was talking with local film programmers who used to run special screenings at the Claremont 5 about bringing them back.

Walter's is also adding service in stages. Its site says hours, seating areas and menu items will keep expanding each week until the restaurant reaches full capacity. Ghafarshad told the Courier the plan is a grand reopening once the staff is fully hired and trained, either near the end of this year or early next year. About 12 former employees came back for the reopening.

The two owners have described their plans in similar terms. "We want to be a community hub and destination," Golin told the Daily Bulletin. "Our business has always been neighborhood theaters." Ghafarshad told the Courier he wants Walter's to be "the place where friends and colleagues get together at their regular meeting spot."

The first holiday night with both open

The Village's biggest evening of the season is the free Holiday Promenade & Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, December 4, 2026, from 5 to 8 p.m. The City of Claremont and Claremont Village Marketing Group are putting it on. The tree lighting starts at 6 p.m. at the Depot, 200 W. 1st St. Participating businesses, called Cheer Stops, will offer free holiday treats and special deals. Look for inflatable candy canes and a special poster in their windows. Maps of the stops will be available at City Hall and at the city's booth at the Depot, according to the City of Claremont event page.

Last December, Walter's was still closed after the fire. This year, the promenade is on a Friday night, when Walter's is open until 1:30 a.m., and the theater facing the square is open again too.

The Village is part of what our clients weigh when they choose where to put down roots, and we pay close attention to how it changes from season to season. If you're thinking about a move in or around Claremont, or want to know what your home on a walkable Village street is worth now, Team Andrade can help. Get in touch for a free home valuation and personalized plan.