Business & Tech
Cranford Theater Honored With National Award
The theater had its grand reopening in November after a partial ceiling collapse closed the venue for months.
CRANFORD, NJ — The Cranford Theater won a 2025 national "giveback" award for going above and beyond to support community spirit and have a profound impact on the surrounding neighborhoods.
Sponsored by Miconex, the company behind the Downtown Cranford Digital Giftcard, the winners of "The BIG Holiday Giveback" are chosen from resident nominations submitted on the businesses' behalf.
The Cranford Theater will receive $1,500 in Downtown Cranford Gift Cards as a prize for being chosen.
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"It's such an honor to win The BIG Holiday Giveback, and truly overwhelming to even be thought of, let alone nominated or actually win," owner Doreen Sayegh said.
The Cranford Theater is the only independent movie theater left in Union County, and one of just a few in the entire state still operating.
Find out what's happening in Cranfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Along with the coronavirus pandemic struggles, Hollywood strikes, and the partial ceiling collapse in April that forced the business to close until November, Miconex noted her continued commitment and determination to preserving the business and Cranford staple.
Over the last few months, the space underwent renovations to repair the ceiling and add capabilities for a wider variety of events in the future. Sayegh said they have already started to plan for comedy shows and other stage events.
"It's fitting that a beloved Cranford business that goes above and beyond for their community has won The BIG Holiday Giveback, demonstrating the power of community spirit to keep our downtowns thriving," Colin Munro, CEO of Miconex, said.
As of Dec. 18, more than 140 businesses accept the Downtown Cranford Gift Card as payment.
"We've been fortunate, and I want to help others, so I'll be putting the Downtown Cranford Gift Cards back into the community to help more people enjoy these precious holiday moments," Sayegh said.
Sayegh grew up in the business working for her father and in theater circuits, and said knows what it means to build around a strong community foundation.
"I believe you have to put good out into the world to get good back," she said.
More information regarding current showings and future events can be found on the theater's website.
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