Johnson goes from movie usher in a tux to Classic Cinemas CEO

Before Blockbuster and Redbox, Chris Johnson wore a tuxedo and a big bow tie while working as an usher at the Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove.

It was the 1980s, and he formerly assisted people to their seats as they ate popcorn and drank soda, all with free refills.

Now, Johnson is 47 and CEO of the family-owned Classic Cinemas, which has 13 locations including at St. Charles, Elmhurst, Naperville, Fox Lake, Woodstock, and yes, his native Downers Grove. He has since witnessed some of the biggest transitions in the industry, from wearing formal clothes for ushers to no ushers at all, from film reels to digital projectors, and even a more extensive concession stand.

"I must have seen 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' about 100 times," he joked. "And it was also a time when you could smoke in the lobby. It was a totally different time."

Chris Johnson recently took the helm of Classic Cinemas, which had long been owned by his father Willis Johnson, who continues as president and will serve as a key adviser to his son. The theaters have undergone extensive upgrades, including digital projectors as well as remodeling.

He said many of the theaters were acquired in recent years as the industry underwent massive restructuring. As Hollywood transitioned itself from old-time film to new technology, many theaters were forced to do the same.

In the 1990s when many local theaters were booming, Classic Cinemas held tight, Johnson said.

"My dad asked how come everyone was expanding, and I could see how that could be done, but I thought we should sustain what we had. So we pulled back, avoided debt and watched how others were expanding," Chris Johnson said.

But when they saw those locations go belly-up during hard economic times, Johnson saw it as an opportunity to acquire some locations, which now totals 13 theaters with a combined 103 screens, he said.

"We're actually looking to acquire more," he said. "And right now, we're expanding some existing locations."

The company more recently expanded its site at Woodstock that included 1,098 high-back rocker chairs in eight state-of-the-art auditoriums. They feature state-of-the-art projectors, sound systems and other improvements. The next project will be the theater in St. Charles, he said.

"There are some new owners at the mall (Charlestowne) and we're working very closely with them and definitely believe the new owners have a positive image in mind for the mall," Johnson said.

Now, Johnson brings his own children to the movies when he has a chance, including the latest "Penguins of Madagascar."

"I've told my children about my work and I say that I can get them a job with a nice bow tie and they just laugh," he said.

CEO goes undercover

John Hartmann, president and CEO of True Value Co. headquartered near O'Hare International Airport with several stores around the suburbs, will be featured in "Undercover Boss" on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m. on CBS. He travels from to various cities while working in a disguise with the alias Louis Lapresi. For the show, he takes on various roles from retail sales associate at a True Value store to a forklift driver in stocking and receiving at one of the cooperative's distribution centers. "My 'Undercover Boss' experience was nothing short of incredible," Hartmann said. "I had the opportunity to engage in several key jobs, and although I wasn't great at each task, I learned along the way from my True Value associate mentors. I gained a newfound understanding of the jobs each of these hardworking professionals do each day."

FastTracks

Kim Leva of Lake in the Hills is the new account manager at Meet Chicago Northwest in Schaumburg. She will focus on the medical and legal associations and corporate markets. She has worked in sales positions with Marriott International and Q Center in St. Charles and has worked as a meeting planner in the digital media industry. ... Eric A. Zelepugas, who has worked for four years as an intern at Scherrer Patent & Trademark Law in Crystal Lake has completed his law degree and joined the firm full-time. Eric will continue to support the team of Stephen Scherrer and Monique Morneault, attorneys who specialize in patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret law.

Robert "Buzz" Doyle of Oak Park and Patrick Maggi of Maryland, own Pasquale's at 310 N. River St. in East Dundee, which had its grand opening last week. The restaurant will feature traditional hand-tossed pizzas, Italian sandwiches and salads. The men also own Sweet, Pop, Fizz and Blues BBQ in East Dundee. ... Naperville dermatologic surgeon Ashish C. Bhatia of Naperville was elected to the board of directors of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, based in Rolling Meadow.

Bruce Jones, managing partner of Porte Brown, an accounting and consulting firm in Elk Grove Village, said the firm has merged with Evanston-based Brown, Kaplan & Liss, which now operates under the Porte Brown name. ... Joshua M. Jackson is a new partner in the Lake Forest office of the law firm, Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLP. ... Colleen Taylor is manager of Yoga by Degrees, which recently opened in Downers Grove. ... Betsy Latus is the spa director for Me Spa, which opened in the former Coldwater Creek Spa location on the second floor of Main Street Promenade in downtown Naperville.

Paul Silver, who owns and operates Supercuts franchises in Schaumburg since 1984 and Bartlett since 1999, says he is marking a combined 45 years in the suburbs. has been hiring local staff and stylists since opening in Schaumburg.

Aldo Bottalla is the new vice president of business development of The Missner Group in Skokie. He has more than 10 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry and was most recently the senior vice president of sales with Universal Gaming Group LLC in Chicago. ... Doug Pauly has joined Cawley Chicago Commercial Real Estate as an associate of the office team in Downers Grove.

•There's more to business than just the bottom line. We want to tell you about the people that make business work. Send news about people in business to akukec@dailyherald.com. Follow Anna Marie Kukec on LinkedIn and Facebook and as AMKukec on Twitter.