After five years in business, the Santa Clara ShowPlace ICON Theatre at Westfield Valley Fair ended operations on July 1. The movie theater company announced its closing of the location through email.

“We would like to express our sincerest gratitude and appreciation to our guests for your unwavering support, loyalty and enthusiasm over the years,” the release stated.

ShowPlace ICON was owned and operated by Kerasotes Theatres, a Chicago-based theater chain. The group also closed theaters in Mountain View, Chicago and St. Louis, deleting all social media accounts and websites.

The COVID-19 pandemic, 2023 Writers Guild of America strike and 2023 Screen Actors Guild strike led to a significant decrease in moviegoing. Many speculate that these factors contributed to Kerasotes Theatres losing business. 

Prior to its closing, the Valley Fair theater scaled back its operation times by a few hours. On social media, community members commented on its low guest count, despite various discounts and deals. 

The ShowPlace ICON Theatres did not respond to requests for further comment.