There were few pizzerias in the world quite like Andrew’s Pizza and Skylight Theater in Hood River, Oregon. Now that founders Andrew and Melissa McElderry have retired and sold the space, the question is: Will it retain its singular charm—and business model?
Founded as Andrew’s Pizza & Bakery in 1991, the restaurant has long stood apart for the second half of the name that it later adopted. For decades, the Skylight Theater showed first-run movies on two screens upstairs, so customers could watch Hollywood’s latest blockbusters while munching on slices of the McElderrys’ East Coast-inspired pizzas and housemade pastries or sipping local beers on draft. Posters and still photos from celluloid classics like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Goodfellas, Lion King and Dumb and Dumber covered the dining room walls, providing a relaxed and welcoming ambience.
In May 2024, the venue hosted the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Fly Fishing Film Festival. In 2023, it screened hit movies like Napoleon, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning and Asteroid City.
Related: What are your pizzeria’s pain points? Get the solutions from our experts at PMQ’s Pizza Power Forum, September 4-5 in Atlanta.
The McElderrys told Columbia Gorge News they were ready to sell and retire four years ago, but the pandemic changed their plans. Instead, like most restaurateurs, they pivoted, focusing on delivery, online ordering and carryout to keep the business solvent.
The shop survived, but, Andrew said, “By 2023, we were out of energy. And that wasn’t fair to the employees,” some of whom had worked at the restaurant for 20 years or longer. Exactly when the McElderrys sold the space is unclear, but sell it they did, apparently earlier this summer, marking the end of an era for Hood River.
For the McElderrys, getting their hands on first-run movies wasn’t as difficult as it might sound: They also co-owned Hood River Cinemas until selling their share in March 2024.
And when they weren’t feeding and entertaining the people of Hood River, the couple was giving back to the community. Andrew worked with the Hood River Chamber of Commerce and the United Way, while Melissa helped a nonprofit called New Parent Services. They also coached the local high school’s boys and girls lacrosse teams.
But 33 years in the pizza-and-a-movie business was apparently enough. As word spread about the closure of Andrew’s Pizza and Skylight Theater, speculation and rumors about its future grew on a hometown Facebook group. In a June 26 response posted on the restaurant’s own Facebook page, the McElderrys offered few details about what’s coming next but said, “Yes, the new owners have plans of their own that will bring changes.”
Whether that means the Skylight Theater has shown its last film remains to be seen. Regardless, the McElderrys signed off on a heartwarming note in their Facebook post. “While we feel a great deal of pride for what we have accomplished in 33 years, we are overwhelmingly humbled by the support and patronage we have received from the Columbia Gorge Community,” they wrote. “Your support has allowed us to give some of our time back to the community we love so dearly. We did our best not to waste such a gift.”
