The Brick District Playhouse announced on Friday a new partnership with Chris and Beth Johnston of Ohana Pizzeria.
The Johnstons will operate the Playhouse's restaurant, and will also provide catering to events.
Playhouse president Tom Riley said this partnership is a great development.
"The degree to which the historic theatre benefits the community is really dependent on what happens in it, and anyone who is familiar with Chris, Beth, or Ohanas knows what a great operation they run," Riley said in a release.
In addition to managing the restaurant and providing catering, they will also assist with meetings and other rentals at the Playhouse.
The Johnstons will host a variety of events at the venue, including concerts, karaoke and trivia nights.
The Playhouse restaurant will be temporarily closed on April 2 while the Johnstons prepare a new menu, hire staff and prepare to open.
Brick District Playhouse vice president Debbie LaRue said the Playhouse has been working toward a partnership like this for a long time.
"For the past weeks, Chris and Beth have volunteered to help cater and serve events, and they've already helped improve our operations even before they take over on April 2," LaRue said in a release.
Not only are Playhouse officials excited about the partnership with Ohanas, the Johnstons are too.
"We are excited to use our experience to help bring life to the theater as well as run a successful cafe. The playhouse has amazing potential regarding events and we are anxious to see this partnership evolve," Beth Johnston said in a release.
The balcony at the Playhouse recently opened because of the Save Your Seat Campaign, which is raising funds to renovate the building. The balcony renovation is part of phase two of the campaign, which has a goal of $150,000. $125,000 has been raised so far, according to the Playhouse's website.
Phase one of the project raised $800,000. This phase included renovations to the front lobby, main auditorium and the building exterior.
Bruce Hackman, former director of the Fulton Area Development Corporation and Playhouse board member, said the venue brings in out-of-town visitors to Fulton.
"The Playhouse is a premier venue for bringing tourists into our community and increasing economic activity in the Brick District, so it's exciting to know we're improving and expanding our capacity to hose and cater more events," Hackman said in a release.
To learn more about the Playhouse, visit thebrickdistricplayhouse.com.