The Columbian Theater has new owners.

Since buying the Riviera Building in 1997, Uriah Hulsey and Jeanine Fairchild have turned it into an eclectic gathering place for locals, offering everything from homestyle breakfast to a night on the town.

After decades of running the show, the couple has decided to step away.

Hulsey and Fairchild are selling the downtown complex that includes the Columbian Theater, the Voodoo Room, the Columbian Cafe and the adjacent storefront that was previously Metal Head.

Karen and Stephen Allen, who own the neighboring Astoria Brewing Co. and several other businesses in town, are buying the property.

They plan on keeping the decor and aesthetic, but are considering renaming it after the Riviera Building. If they do, they hope to restore the building’s neon sign as shown in century-old photos.

Hulsey’s connection to the building goes back to 1980, when he took over operations for the cafe. Looking back on his time as the owner, he said he is proud to have brought additional jobs and a community space to Astoria.

“Those things were important because Astoria was going through a real hard time in the ‘80s and we were able to make it through,” he said.

Back then, Hulsey said the cafe was unique because it had an espresso machine, didn’t allow smoking and served fresh fish — rather than deep fried — bought directly from boats and local canneries.

“Because we built this, I’m sorry to see it go of course,” he said. “But no one lasts forever.”

Hulsey hadn’t listed the sale, and instead approached several local business owners directly about buying the property.

He said the Allens were the first to respond, and he is glad they asked him to leave the decor. Hulsey has removed some personal items, but will be sorry to part ways with some others, like the Ouija board table, which he thinks belongs in the Voodoo Room.

He said he’s happy that the staff, who he sees as family, will be staying on.

Hulsey will continue to make the jellies that have been served with each meal at the cafe, and plans on traveling more with Fairchild, his wife.

Stephen Allen said he hopes to carry on the previous owners’ legacy, and has been getting ideas and recommendations from employees for adjustments to the business.

The theater plays second-run movies three days a week. Allen is considering expanding to movies both historic and newer, but said there’s still a lot to plan.

“We’re trying to have more movies that the community will be excited to come and see,” he said. “We want to expand on what he’s been doing there, but we need to figure it all out.”

One plan is certain, though: they’ll be selling Astoria Brewing’s beer. They are looking into the potential for a doorway to the brewery, too.

“We’re very excited about owning it. We want to carry on what Uriah has created over the years and not make major changes,” Allen said. “It certainly has a clientele that we hope to maintain and grow.”

Marco Davis, a massage therapist and lifelong Astoria resident, worked for Hulsey in the cafe for more than 20 years. With the Riviera Building businesses, Hulsey and Fairchild created a space that felt like it accepted everybody, he said.

“It was a safe haven for a lot of us,” he said. “It was the central heartbeat for downtown Astoria for local misfits.”

The Columbian Theater stage was where Davis and his friends found a home for their performances — where Davis hosted what became the annual “Dragalution” drag shows that drew large crowds from many corners of Astoria.

The Allens are known for doing a good job at fixing up the buildings they own — and certainly the Riviera Building will need a lot of work.

But Davis and others hope the Allens retain more than just the eclectic aesthetics that helped define the Voodoo Room and the Columbian Cafe spaces in particular. They hope the building remains a space where people can be themselves. A place for the misfits.