Christian and Camilla Meoli took over the former Tiburon Playhouse at 40 Main Street in 2022, rebuilt it as Cinelounge, and are betting that an independent theater survives by becoming more specific — a curated food program, cocktails paired to the films, and a calendar of community events.

The building at 40 Main Street in Tiburon sits on the short commercial block where the town runs along the bay — three screens that operated for years as the Tiburon Playhouse before the pandemic shut it along with hundreds of independent theaters across California. In 2022, Christian and Camilla Meoli took over as operators, signing on under their registered entity Voltaire Media after the building had passed to ACV Argo Tiburon, a real estate joint venture between Corte Madera-based Argonaut Investments LLC and A&C Ventures Inc. of Sonoma. They renamed it Cinelounge, and they had a specific idea of what it needed to feel like.

"We wanted to make it cool," Camilla Meoli told KTVU. "It's a whole warmth that some people don't even get at home."

That warmth is operational. Beyond standard concessions, the Meolis built a food program that runs to skewers, chicken and waffles, a burger called the "Steven Spielberger," a 49ers-themed hot dog, and caviar with chips. The bar carries beer, wine, and cocktails mixed to complement whatever is on the schedule. "Items we would want to serve our friends and guests at our own place," Christian Meoli told KTVU.

The programming extends beyond the marquee. Management has leaned into community events and private gatherings, positioning the building as a neighborhood venue with multiple uses rather than a single-function box.

The bet is straightforward: independent houses survive by becoming more specific. Not a generalized screen, but a room — a particular menu, a bar that shifts with the films, a place people return to for both. "We like to bring a style component to the movie-theater-going experience," Christian Meoli told KTVU. "Also, we've deeply personalized it."

The Tiburon Playhouse sign is long gone. On any given evening at this corner, the marquee is lit and the cocktail list has already been matched to what opens Friday.