Originally constructed over a century ago in 1923 as the Beau Arts Building in downtown Chehalis, the Chehalis Theater has changed both ownership and names since then — including being renamed the Pix Theater in 1938 and Chehalis Theater in 1954.
Then most recently, it was renamed to the McFiler’s Chehalis Theater after local Tim Filer and his business partners purchased it in late 2020.
However, this past month, it was announced the McFiler’s moniker was being dropped, and the historic theater would once again be called simply the Chehalis Theater, according to a Facebook post.
Along with rebranding, the theater’s Facebook announced the hiring of a new executive chef at the theater, Joshua Breland, who is putting the finishing touches on a new menu for a new restaurant inside the Chehalis Theater — Limelight.
The Chronicle met with both Filer and Breland on Tuesday, Nov. 18, to talk about both the theater’s rebranding and Limelight, which they hope to hold a soft opening for by mid-December.
According to Filer, the main driver behind reverting back to the Chehalis Theater name was to help customers avoid confusion, as Filer is also the co-owner of the nearby McFiler’s Bar and Restaurant, located one block south of the theater.
“We would have 150-person banquets over here, and 30 of them would show up at the other place and be like, ‘Hey, this isn’t where our banquet is, is it?’ It was just causing a ton of drama,” Filer said. “... Even for deliveries, whether it was food deliveries or equipment, it would get delivered to the wrong place, too.”
Given the theater had also been known as the Chehalis Theater since 1954, he figured he might as well go back to that since it’s what many residents, including himself, knew it as while growing up watching classic films and attending concerts inside.
Over the past year and a half, the theater also drummed up some controversy as it has been rented out by a company which puts on drag shows.
“The drag shows were just a company renting out the facility. I don’t really dictate what people do when they rent the building from me,” Filer said.
He added, ironically, the drag shows weren’t the most controversial events hosted inside the theater recently.
“I heard through the grapevine that the thing that actually pissed everybody off were ‘The Dope Shows’ that I had in here … Evidently, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” he said. “But again, that’s just hearsay. That’s what I heard from the grapevine. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but apparently it rubbed a lot of people the wrong way we were doing that in here.”
‘The Dope Show’ is a traveling stand-up comedy tour, led by Tyler Smith, where various nationally touring comedians perform a set sober before smoking marijuana and getting back on stage to try performing again.
Filer stated the theater also still hosts many local events and performances, which is the reason for renting the theater out for other events, even if they may be a bit controversial.
“Our goal at the owner level is still the same as it’s always been. We just need to be able to turn enough profit in here to keep the building from degrading and have it in perpetuity for the community,” Filer said. “We love having the kids coming in here to perform their winter and summer programs, the Chehalis High School jazz band doing performances here. That’s why this building exists in our downtown.”
Renovations are also in the works with the rebranding, as recently Filer was informed by City of Chehalis staff that if he wants to continue hosting live concerts or events with music and dancing, a fire suppression system must be installed inside.
“As long as people are seated and watching an act, we’re considered a theater. But as soon as people start dancing, we’re considered mixed-use. Which is strange to me because nobody else who’s ever owned this theater had to deal with that,” Filer said. “It is what it is, so until we can put fire suppression in the building, we can’t do any live music. No DJs, no dance parties, no concerts, stuff like that.”
While renovations on the theater’s south wall were completed a year and a half ago, its north wall now needs work, too.
“The facade probably needs about another $20,000 to $30,000 worth of renovations too,” Filer added. “An old building like this is expensive to keep up.”
As for Limelight, Breland recently brought in a new dry-aging cooler for steaks, which will be just one part of the new menu at the restaurant inside the Chehalis Theater.
“Just about everything will be made from scratch, including the buns,” Breland said.
Working at Limelight also gives him the chance to cook with his wife, Myriam Breland, who is the baker responsible for the bread recipes.
From pub kitchen classics like smoked chicken wings or baked macaroni and cheese to a pork belly bahn mi sandwich, Limelight’s menu will have something for everyone — including aged ribeye and New York strip steaks.
Breland is currently wrapping up training for his line cooks, along with working out the final kinks in Limelight’s menu.
For more information on the Chehalis Theater and to get updates for when the soft opening for Limelight will be held, follow the theater on its Facebook page at https://tinyurl.com/ykvd4ehj.
