Last Saturday, Oct. 24, the final movie at the Big Rapids Theater started at 10 p.m. A year ago, downtown had no movie theater, and the town had gone six years without one. Three blocks up, Cottage Inn Pizza & Pub now stays open until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
In January, The Torch at Ferris State listed what was supposed to arrive in Big Rapids this year. With two months left in 2026, most of it has opened. The openings also sorted themselves by street. South Michigan Avenue picked up the evening businesses. Perry Avenue got the early-morning coffee and, eventually, the drive-thru.
The January List, Checked in Late October
On Jan. 21, 2026, The Torch named four projects. Here is where each one stands as October ends.
| Project | Address | January forecast | Status in late October |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Rapids Theater | 213 S. Michigan Ave. | Reopening after major renovation | Open since April 3, seven days a week |
| Cottage Inn Pizza & Pub | 126 S. Michigan Ave. | Late summer or early fall | Open, until 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays |
| Dunkin' inside Walmart | 21400 Perry Ave. | End of May | Open daily, 7 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. |
| Chipotle | 110 Perry Ave. | Before year-end | Hiring at the address, not yet on the chain's locator |
The biggest project on the list opened first, and it opened before the work was done.
The Theater Opened With Half the Building Done
9and10 News covered the grand opening on Friday, April 3. Owner Jordan Stancil bought the former AMC theater the previous June, and after 10 months of renovation he welcomed the first customers to noon screenings of "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie." The theater had closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and sat empty until he bought it.
On opening day, about half the building had been remodeled. That half included two auditoriums with new carpeting, soundproofing between the screens, and seats with cupholders. Stancil told 9and10 News he chose to open first and keep building:
"It's kind of a pardon our dust kind of theater right now. But I think as long as we just get started and get open to get people watching movies again, then it'll be good to just keep moving forward and making it better."
That decision gave downtown a full summer and fall of movies, when it could have waited for a finished renovation. According to the theater's website, the building now has two remodeled auditoriums with new luxury seating and will add "a third, larger auditorium in Fall 2026." Ticket prices are posted on the same page:
- Evening shows, 5 p.m. or later: $8.75
- Matinees before 5 p.m.: $7.50
- All shows on Tuesdays: $6.00
- Children under 12, any show: $5.00
You can call the theater at 231-598-9108.
On Sept. 25 and 26, the theater hosted the premiere of "The Ferris State Marching Band Documentary," directed and produced by assistant professor Andrew Tingley. The film follows the band's return after roughly 30 years. The Torch reported that another showing is being planned for February, during the Big Rapids Festival of the Arts.
South Michigan Avenue After 9 P.M.
The theater sits at 213 S. Michigan Ave., and Cottage Inn opened down the street at 126 S. Michigan Ave. In January, The Torch described the pizza pub as "just minutes from campus" and as another late-night dining option for students and residents downtown.
The opening date moved more than once. The January forecast said late summer or early fall. A later Big Rapids Daily News update quoted Cottage Inn Management aiming for "the end of June." The company's Big Rapids location page now shows "Now Open," with hours from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Taken together, the two businesses change the hours on this stretch. On a Saturday, the last show starts around 10 p.m. and lets out near midnight, and the pub keeps its kitchen open two more hours after that. Last Saturday's lineup shows how the evening ran. "Street Fighter" played at 3:15, 6:15 and 9:15 p.m., and "Wildwood" played at 3:30, 6:45 and 10 p.m., all with reserved seating.
Perry Avenue Got the Morning Coffee and the Drive-Thru
The other half of the list went to Perry Avenue, and those projects keep different hours.
Dunkin' came back to Big Rapids inside the Walmart at 21400 Perry Ave., as part of Walmart's "Store of the Future" remodel. The Big Rapids store was one of 14 in that project. The Torch noted that the town's last Dunkin' operated downtown until 2008. The new one is open daily from 7 a.m. to 8:45 p.m., according to Dunkin's location page. So the doughnut shop downtown lost in 2008 has come back as a counter inside the big-box store on Perry.
Chipotle is the last item on the January list. The Torch reported that it would replace the former TCF Bank and Huntington Bank building at 110 Perry Ave. with a one-story restaurant with a drive-thru, opening before the end of the year. In the same period, the Big Rapids Daily News reported that weather had delayed demolition of the bank building. Chipotle's careers site now lists Big Rapids positions at 110 Perry Ave., including a general manager and a kitchen leader role posted Sept. 18, 2026. Big Rapids does not appear on the chain's Michigan locations page yet.
Three Saturdays That Use Both Ends of the Day
Downtown's fall calendar now has events from morning into the evening, and a few of the next dates fall on Saturdays.
- Saturday, Oct. 31, morning. The Big Rapids Downtown Business Association Fall Festival starts at 10 a.m. Trunk or Treat runs 10 a.m. to noon, and inflatables, a kids' area and food trucks run 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The pumpkin roll and pie-eating contest are listed with details still to come. The Skeleton Skurry 5K Run/Walk/Roll also starts at Big Rapids City Hall that morning, with Epic Race Timing Co. handling results and prizes for the top three finishers and best costume. Registration is on Eventbrite. The city's events page notes that the course is open and may be shared with traffic.
- Saturday, Oct. 31, afternoon. Ferris State football hosts Davenport at 1 p.m., according to the Bulldogs' schedule.
- Saturday, Nov. 14. Ferris State football hosts Roosevelt at 1 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 21, evening. The DBA's Festival of Lights Parade runs 6 to 8 p.m. with a tree lighting, Santa, Christmas stories, caroling and hot chocolate. The event page lists a Nov. 16 registration deadline for parade entries. Ferris State men's hockey hosts Northern Michigan the same night at 6:07 p.m.
Every daytime event on Halloween wraps up by early afternoon. In past years, downtown had little open after that. This year, the theater and Cottage Inn are both open on South Michigan Avenue for the evening.
What's Still on the Way
The next addition people will probably be watching for is outdoors. On Aug. 20, 2026, the state announced $391,400 for Big Rapids to build 0.75 miles of universally accessible waterfront trail at Clay Cliffs Nature Area, with two footbridges over Mitchell Creek. According to the Big Rapids Daily News, city commissioners were set to consider a proposal from Fleis & VandenBrink at their Sept. 21 meeting. The contract would cover design, permitting and bidding for the ADA-compliant trail, including benches, signs, restoration and the two bridges. That contract covers the steps before construction, and the Daily News preview gave no start or finish dates for building the trail.
The theater is also still under construction. Its third, larger auditorium is listed for fall 2026, which means work is continuing on South Michigan Avenue even with movies showing every day.
Big Rapids Realty has been on these streets since 1969, and our team has watched storefronts along South Michigan Avenue and Perry Avenue change hands many times. If you own a building downtown, are thinking about a commercial space nearby, or want to know what a block within walking distance of the theater offers, contact us and we'll talk it through with you.
