F’ville to close movie if it flunks inspection

Tue, 06/06/2006 - 4:25pm
By: Ben Nelms

Clean it or close it. That’s the word from the city of Fayetteville to Tinseltown.

Fayetteville City Manager Joe Morton sent a June 1 letter to Fayette Pavilion’s Tinseltown 17 theater manager Brian Ortega informing him that his day in municipal court later this month is not his only problem.

Failure to correct the months-long health and sanitation issues plaguing the theater may well result in Tinseltown losing its business license.

“This letter is to notify you that if these violations are not corrected by the Fayette County re-inspection date of June 15, 2006, I will recommend to the city of Fayetteville mayor and council revocation of your business license pursuant to Section 46-102 of the city of Fayetteville Code of Ordinance until such violations are corrected,” the letter said.

Section 46-102(a) states that, “If any holder of a business registration issued by the city should be engaged in unlawful activities, acts which would constitute violations of laws of the state of Georgia, city ordinances, city zoning regulations, city heating, electrical, building codes, and Fayette County health codes, and where such unlawful activities are such as to directly or indirectly affect their qualification to conduct the business for which they were registered or involves the conduct of such business, and where the holder is doing business within the city, the business registration may be revoked or suspended in the manner provided herein.”

Tinseltown is scheduled for a Fayetteville Municipal Court appearance June 20 and another on Aug. 20, though the two appearances are likely to be combined in the June 20 court date, according to Clerk of the Court Kim Donald.

Tinseltown is no stranger to trouble over health and sanitation concerns, especially those where rodent urine and feces figured prominently in the health inspections.

Tinseltown scored 50 out of a possible score of 100 on a March 23 follow-up health and sanitation inspection and 54 on the follow-up to the follow-up inspection March 29. Large numbers of violations were cited on both inspections.

An April 4 re-inspection saw an improvement, with a score of 83. Then came visits on May 19 and again on May 23, where conditions had improved. But not the presence of rodent urine and feces, as noted by Environmental Health Specialist III Peggy Monkus.

Tinseltown will have its day in court on June 20 regardless the outcome of the June 15 re-inspection.

On June 20, no one will line up outside Fayetteville Municipal Court to buy tickets and movie critics will have nothing to critique. But for some of those who once frequented Fayette County’s largest movie complex, it could be the blockbuster event of the summer.

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Submitted by RJPhilips on Wed, 07/05/2006 - 9:14am.

My God... Do you people have nothing better to report on? This is nothing more than over hyped propaganda. It figures that a small town health inspector that gets treated rudely, just because she is a total a**, can cause such a problem. I've lived in the surrounding Fayetteville area for some time and know that almost every single business in the area seems to be run by idiots and poorly maintained. My children and I have been going to Tinseltown 17 for the past couple of years. Yea, it might not be the cleanest of movie theaters but come on.

How do you not expect to see a bit of popcorn on the ground and a left over soda cup under a chair? IT'S TO BE EXPECTED AT "ANY" MOVIE THEATER FOLKS! Also, there are not any rats in the area. Maybe field mice but surly not rats. Tinseltown 17 is located right next to the woods. A few "mice" coming to nibble some spilt popcorn is expected. Surly not only Tinseltown has this problem.

As for the employees, it's a minimum waged job manly for young teenagers. How are they expected to be the absolute best employees. It's a first job for most of them not to mention a good few of them come from the bad parts of town. In closer, this is just small town propaganda due to a dwindling time for local news. Also, Tinseltown 17 got a great review on their last health inspection, just so you know.

Most of you are hypocrites and have no room to talk. You people obviously have nothing better to do with your day to day lives than to complain. With that said, go enjoy your movies and shove some popcorn down your throats.

Submitted by thebeaver on Wed, 07/05/2006 - 11:40am.

RJ -

The fact that Tinsletown is located next to the woods is no excuse for rat droppings in the food prep area. Laws are laws, and if this business can't meet standard health requirements then they should be shut down.

We don't expect the best employees at minimum wage, but the owners and patrons should expect the employees to do the job that they were hired to do. It's not as if someone forced them to take the job.
If these kids aren't held accountable for their performance at this job, they will pick up on that and think that they can skate through life without being held accountable for anything. These kids wanted this job, they agreed to the salary, and they should do a good job, put a smile on their faces, and keep the place clean.

Submitted by 00 on Wed, 07/05/2006 - 9:22am.

Where did you come from? What rock did you crawl out from under. Do you really like your popcorn seasoned with rat dookie? I'm just askin.

Submitted by RJPhilips on Wed, 07/05/2006 - 9:30am.

Just telling it from another side of the road Jack. That theater is just as good as any other in the area. Seeing as how they got a 98% rating on their new health inspection, I think you people should rethink your lost words.

cowtipn's picture
Submitted by cowtipn on Wed, 07/05/2006 - 1:01pm.

Any rat shack can get a 98% if they knew exactly what day and what time the inspector would show up. The fact that they only found 4 rats ought to tell you how proficient the health inspector is.


Submitted by RubyBegonia on Fri, 06/09/2006 - 1:22pm.

Personally, I hope they close the place down. The area reminds me of an upcoming Old National Highway! I never shop there, I'd rather drive to the north side of Atlanta.

Buckwheat Rules's picture
Submitted by Buckwheat Rules on Fri, 06/09/2006 - 12:28pm.

Here's the problem with the Pavilion in general. It's a collective playground for all the Riverdale riff-raff and every rust-bucket of bolts on 4 wheels and no insurance that makes it over the county line from Clayton.

You want to clean places up like Tinseltown and the Pavilion and get rid of some crime in the process? ....Simple, Fayette County needs to do everything it can to help Riverdale build their own. Sure, some might be saying, "this isn't our responsibility," but honestly, it's the only way this problem is going to get solved.


Submitted by Who Me on Wed, 06/07/2006 - 2:09pm.

for a cleaner, safer place to go. I went to the McDonough 16 a few weeks ago and what a difference!! While each theater is smaller, it's clean, people are friendly, free refills on popcorn & beverages, and....not the huge police presence like in F'ville.

All Smiles's picture
Submitted by All Smiles on Tue, 06/06/2006 - 5:20pm.

I went this past weekend to Newnan. Yes, It takes me about 10 extra minutes, but well worth the trip!! I do not think I can ever bring myself to step foot back into Tinseltown!!! Just the thought makes me feel sick, even if I did not buy anything to eat or drink, just the thought of the rats running the house is enough for me. My son wanted to meet some of his friends over there now that school is out and I explained to him he was no longer allowed in Tinseltown. I guess all the "ASH and TRASH" work there and really don't give a rats as* just as the owners!!!


nuk's picture
Submitted by nuk on Sat, 06/10/2006 - 6:17am.

Tinseltown will die due to competition, even if the incompetent morons who run it presently manage to clean the place up enough to quit flunking inspections.

Cinemark/Tinseltown has a zillion concessions stands they never open, hire staff that is beyond incompetent and plain lazy, can't figure out how to open the box-office with more than one brain-dead staff at a time, etc. Their biggest concern seems to be if someone under 17 might get into a R-rated movie, which isn't even a law, it's a "guideline."
They hire off-duty PD for about 5x what they pay the rest of the employees. What a great use of your funds! Rats having a field day and your staff of tards drooling around during repeated failed inspections!

None of this surpises me...TT has been poorly run since almost Day 1. For a while, they had a big advantage as being one of the few around and the convenience. They don't have that any longer and their reaction to competition seems to be to cut costs to the bone(except for the off-duty PD), treat the ticket-buyers with the same apathy as always, and just behave like a dying business. Hell, their sister theater over in Banks Station will make it longer.

NUK


Submitted by someone on Sat, 06/10/2006 - 12:03am.

Well maybe if lazy people would give a rats as* and pick up their OWN trash in theaters and not expect others to do it all for them, then maybe the problem wouldnt be so bad. Its disgusting that people can be such pigs and not even pick up after their own selves.

If you think its That bad, then don't come. Its that easy. No one is twisting your arm and forcing you to go to Tinseltown. Go drive your golf carts back to PTC where everything is oh-so-perfect and, of course, spotless and clean in your life. =)

Submitted by FCHSalumni on Tue, 06/06/2006 - 5:49pm.

They simply need to close down for as long as it takes to take care of the problem. I know the corporate office hates losing money from loss of business but a few days is better than being closed down for good. The fact that they've not fixed the problem has already given the place bad press that's hard to repair as it is.

Does anybody else remember when Fayetteville first got the three-screen theater back in the 70s? It felt like we'd really hit the big time.

Submitted by BPNEWC on Wed, 06/07/2006 - 12:12pm.

Tinseltown is getting worse and worse! I drove to the new cinema in Griffin at Hwy 92 & Hwy 19/41, what a difference!!! Great service...Free refills on popcorn and drinks.........Clean atmosphere....Only one mile farther than going to the Pavillion from south Fayette County, with a whole lot less traffic....

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