CONTACT: Valerie Richarme
November 20, 2023 valerie@rialtotheatre.com 520-647-4123
November 20, 2023 (Tucson, AZ) -- The Rialto Theatre will venture into retail by opening a downtown store. El Regalo, the new Rialto merchandise and gift store, is located directly next to
the Rialto Theatre box office on the corner of Congress Street and Herbert Alley. The store, which opens its doors for the first time on Small Business Saturday, November 25, 2023, will activate a space on the ground floor of the Rialto Theatre building in partnership with Don Martin and the Martin family.
The Non-Profit Rialto Theatre’s retail store name, El Regalo, or “The Gift,” evokes the Theatre’s brief history in the 1970s as home to El Cine Plaza, a first-run, Spanish-language movie house.
”The Rialto has been wanting to expand into merchandising beyond t-shirts, and this is the perfect way to take a disused portion of the music venue and turn it into a shoppable, customer-facing space,” said Cathy Rivers, Executive Director of The Rialto Theatre Foundation.
The store will be a one-stop shop for music fans and small business supporters, featuring Rialto Theatre-branded items from clear backpacks and t-shirts to art prints and custom stickers. El Regalo will also sell locally-produced gifts including jewelry and decor and showcase historic photos, posters, and show memorabilia of the Rialto Theatre.
“Normally, we would not have a place to share these incredible posters and art outside of our annual fundraising gala,” said Rivers. “This gives music fans a great way to connect with their favorite bands and support the Non-Profit Rialto Theatre year-round.”
El Regalo will have a soft open on Saturday, November 25, before and during the Rialto Theatre’s Dia de las Luchas event. The Taco Libre food truck will be on-site throughout the evening. The store will be open from noon until 4 pm, then reopen from 6 to 8 pm. Rivers anticipates expanding store hours in the future. “We’re just getting started, and there is much more to come from the Rialto,” Rivers added.
Sales proceeds will benefit the Rialto Theatre Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the stewardship and preservation of the historic Rialto Theatre, a unique
entertainment venue and a cornerstone of downtown Tucson. For more information about the Rialto Theatre, the Rialto Theatre Foundation, 191 Toole, R Bar, or El Regalo, please visit www.rialtotheatre.com.
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