VEGAS INC Magazine - Latest Las Vegas business news, features and commentaries about gaming, tourism, real estate and more
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/107076
In business small business Henderson couple hope video rental store will be a hit By Paul Delos Santos staff writer Many people enjoy watching movies at home, but rarely do they head out to a video store. More likely, they stop at a Redbox kiosk to grab a title or download movies from Netflix, Blockbuster or Amazon. Brick-and-mortar movie rental shops across the valley have closed in spades in recent years. That hasn't deterred Trevor Layne. In November, he and his girlfriend, Katie Crispell, opened Movies & Candy at 10895 S. Eastern Ave., Suite 160, Henderson. The movie store offers 15,000 titles for rent, including new releases and cult classics. Rentals cost $1, both for standard definition or highdefinition Blu-Ray DVDs. "We specialize in things Netflix, Amazon and Redbox don't have," Layne said. Scattered throughout the 2,300-square-foot store are barrels filled with more than 100 types of candy. They sell for $7.50 a pound. In the back, there's a 90-inch screen with theaterstyle seats that people can rent out for parties or events. Tickets cost $8 per person for groups of four or fewer and $5 for groups of five or more. Popcorn is free. "We wanted to have to a mini-movie theater to show off," Layne said. "We wanted to have a showpiece that you saw when you came in." The store is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. STEVE MARCUS vintage concept: Trevor Layne and Katie Crispell work at the counter at Movies & Candy, a video shop they opened in November when Layne's house started overflowing with movies. No matter when you stop in, it's likely Layne or Crispell will be working. On the rare occasion they're off, their parents — Bruce and Sherry Layne and Ed and Terry Crispell — manage the shop. "Our parents have been a big help," Trevor Layne said. "I'm paying my mom in candy." Opening the movie rental store was a calling for Trevor Layne. He previously worked as a commercial real estate agent but spent his free time buying and selling movies on Craigslist. His collection quickly swelled to 10,000. When big-box movie rental stores began closing, Trevor Layne decided to try to fill the void by sharing his movie collection. "You should have seen his house," Sherry Layne said. "It was almost disgraceful. But it was a passion for him." The store has attracted a customer base that shares the same passion. Tom Pagano roamed the shop for more than 20 minutes on a recent Thursday, writing down the names of movies he wants to watch. "There are a lot of forgotten gems," Pagano said. "It's invigorating to see movies I haven't seen in a while. There are drive-in movie classics that never made the normal circuit at Blockbuster." The store has close to 500 customers so far, and Trevor Layne said the response has been very positive. People even donated movies to the store in the hopes of keeping it open. "We're really trying to fill the niche of what's different," Layne said. "People have come in and said they've been dying for a place like this." Trevor Layne is developing a website that will allow renters to see the store's inventory in real-time. If all goes well, the couple hopes to open a second location in Summerlin. There also is talk of opening a kiosk inside the Student Union at UNLV. You may not see us, but your mining industry is with you. Every day. Using environment-conscious methods we: • Createmorethan26,000 high-paying jobs • Pay $400 million in state and local taxes • Supplythemineralsthathelpcreatethe products you depend upon Learn more at NevadaMining.org | 4 FEBRUARY 2013 20130204_VI09_F.indd 9 | And most importantly, we're proud to be a major source of financial support for Nevada's children, families and education. 9 1/31/13 3:03:05 PM