Nearly showtime! Moore Tires to open soon in former Dixon movie theater

DIXON – Moore Tires has been working to expand its footprint to Dixon for more than a year, and the new location is slated to open Monday in the long-vacant Plaza Cinemas.

Siblings Kyle Moore and Kayla Heiar recently became partners in the family business, which was founded by their parents Jeff and Angie Moore in 1991 in Rock Falls. Kyle Moore is the owner and store manager in Dixon, and Heiar is the chief administrative officer.

Moore and Heiar said they are proud to be able to continue growing the family business with the new venture in Dixon.

The former Plaza Cinemas movie theater closed in June 2010 after a summer rainstorm caused the roof to collapse at 1315 N. Galena Ave.

It was a “quick blast from the past” to see the remnants from the theater including a popcorn machine and soda fountain, Moore said.

After breaking ground in March, they tore down the partitions of the four old theaters, leveled the floors and did extensive remodeling to the space, he said, basically starting from scratch.

“It’s an old building, but on the inside you wouldn’t be able to tell it was ever a theater,” Moore said. “The progress we made in the last 12 months has been awesome.”

There are 12 bays, of which two are double bays, and the business will offer the same services as the Rock Falls location, including tires, oil changes, and brake and suspension work.

Heiar said it was a team effort across the company to put the new location together, and they’re excited to be in the Dixon community.

Moore said his dad always ingrained in them that you can have all the great equipment and facilities for a business, but you need quality people to make it run successfully.

“The growth is definitely due to the people we have with us and the culture we try to create here,” he said.

They said they’re looking forward to bringing a younger generation to the business and plan to focus on convenience for customers and new technology.

Store hours will be 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. A grand opening event will take place in late April or early May.

The Dixon location will be Moore’s sixth branch with others in Rock Falls, Mendota, Kewanee, Monmouth and Macomb.