Susana and Alan Torres, the dynamic duo behind Rocco’ s Italian Streetfood Food Truck, are thrilled to unveil their latest venture, Rocco’ s Ristorante, at the Theatre. From the left are Amy H. Johnson, Robyn Alligood, Wayne Cooper, Lynn Lasseter, Alan Torres, Susana Torres, Meredith Torres, Alan Matias Torres, Ross Dekle, Maximiliano Torres, Pete Dillard, Lisa Clarke Hill, Steve Lazarus, Marc DeMott, David Herndon, Caroline Barber, Macie Chitty Hegwood. Photo submitted ment Center, the Torres family is expanding their business into a brick and mortar Italian restaurant.
The renovation has kicked into high-gear this year. I’ ve been watching it as they’ ve started working on the facade of the building and even peeked inside to see how things were going on the inside of the building.
This made me wonder about the history of the Colquitt Theatre and when it was first built in downtown Moultrie. So, I went to the most reliable source, The Moultrie Observer digital archives, where I found articles and advertisements for the historic theatre.
So it all starts with C. H. Powell, a native of Moultrie, who got into the theatre business in 1924, when he and his father, J. L. D. Powell, took over the operation of the Grand Theatre, the first picture show house in Moultrie. Five years later, they built the Moultrie Theatre and they also formed the Moultrie Theatres Corporation.
Then, on May 28, 1942, the Moultrie Theatres Corporation’ s Colquitt Theatre, touted as a“ spacious modern movie house” with“ the latest type of sound equipment,” opened its doors.
The senior Powell, J. L. D., was quoted as saying,“ It’ s quite a place.”
At the time, the theater had a coral tan and green facade and was one of the most modernly equipped theaters in the state, according to The Moultrie Observer. The Colquitt Theatre sat 1,250 people with 400 of them in the balcony and it had more than 500 feet of neon lighting in its marquee.
“ This theater is one of the few in the South where the entire marquee is lighted solely by neon,” stated the article.
More than 1,200 patrons attended the opening to hear the theater dedicated to the“ loyalty and patronage of the public,” followed by the new technicolor movie“ Song of the Islands,” featuring Betty Grable.
The vice-president of the Moultrie Chamber of Commerce called the Colquitt Theatre a“ new landmark in the fast growing new Moultrie” and went on to say,“ The theater is ultra-modern and fully in keeping with our visions of a bigger and better city.”
Now, in 2025, it seems we have come full-circle in, once again, becoming a fast growing, new Moultrie with the past few years of economic growth.
28 MoultrieScene JUNE 2025