If you've driven in the Cooke Park area recently, you may have noticed some huge changes. One being a sign that reads, "Local Minnesota Cinema." What is it exactly? It's a theater that will give Rochester more than just the major films that are shown in the other theaters in town. Coming soon, Gray Duck Theater & Coffeehouse.

When I talked to Andy, the owner of Gray Duck, he expressed his passion for all things film. While he enjoys major flicks as well, he feels that they are a narrow viewpoint of what is possible with film. He says they wanted to bring the experience of cinema and film culture to an area that didn't have it.

Their main focus is to be local. They want to give us a uniquely Rochester experience. They'll bring in Rochester filmmakers. They'll hold film education, with things like youth film festivals, classes, and more. They also want to build community - build a discussion around film. Be more than a place to just watch a movie.

Gray Duck will have a massive 24 ft wide and 10.5 feet tall screen. The max capacity will be 66. The way it'll be set up is 6 rows of 11 seats - 3 rows on the ground and 3 tiers of stadium seats. They'll start with 6 show times - two on Friday, two on Saturday, and two on Sunday.

Now to the coffee shop side of things. Rochester's famous Fiddlehead Coffee Co. will have another location. They'll be serving up their delicious drinks on the regular at Gray Duck.

Gray Duck Theater & Coffeehouse finally received their building permit and are currently under construction with a tentative opening date in March.

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