OIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) – A cornerstone of the Oil City’s East First Street district is being forced to close up shop after decades in the community.
(Photo above: Captured by Jacob Deemer/EYT.)
The Movie Stop has been synonymously known by the big red stop sign hanging above the 2 East First Street business since it opened in 1989.
Owner Chris Arduini, a native of Erie, had worked for the original Erie-based Movie Stop store since 1985. Movie Stop was originally an entity of Rent-Way (formerly Rent-to-Own), which started Movie Stop to rent and sell VCRs.
“It’s been my whole life,” told exploreVenango. “That’s all I’ve ever done my whole adult life.”
Arduini bought the business in early 2002.
When asked to summarize his tenure in Oil City, he paused and related that he didn’t know if he could without being moved by emotion.
“I kept it alive. I’m pretty knowledgeable at this,” he uttered. “I just had a knack for this business.”
“The pandemic was real tough,” Arduini added. “We survived the pandemic because we held on to all the old movies that were 20, 30, 40, 50 years old.”