RoadHouse Cinemas Is Coming to Sahuarita: Dine-In Theater Jobs at the Old Desert Sky on Duval Mine Road
TUCSON, AZ — The movie theater on Duval Mine Road is coming back, and it's coming back with a kitchen and a bar. RoadHouse Cinemas is rebuilding the old Desert Sky Cinema in Sahuarita into a dine-in theater, and a staff of roughly 75 to 80 people is expected to run it, according to Green Valley News reporting earlier this year.
Six auditoriums, recliners with a call button for your server, a full bar and a chef-driven menu, just west of I-19. No opening date has been announced yet, but RoadHouse is already taking online applications for Sahuarita.
In a hurry? Skip straight to the job links and begin searching now →
📍 RoadHouse Cinemas Sahuarita at a Glance
| Business | RoadHouse Cinemas Sahuarita |
|---|---|
| Address | 70 W. Duval Mine Rd., Sahuarita, AZ 85614 (Valley Verde Center) |
| Building | Former Desert Sky 6 Cinema, about 18,166 square feet |
| Size | Six auditoriums |
| Concept | Dine-in movie theater: recliners with server call buttons, restaurant menu, full bar |
| Opening | Not yet announced; the theater's page says "coming soon" |
| New jobs | About 75–80 employees expected (Green Valley News, January 2026) |
| How to apply | Online application on RoadHouse's Sahuarita employment page |
| Industry | Entertainment, restaurant and hospitality |
From Desert Sky to RoadHouse: A Sahuarita Theater Gets a Second Act
Desert Sky Cinema closed for good in May 2025, leaving Sahuarita and Green Valley moviegoers driving to Tucson. A town finding cited by KVOA counted nearly 10,000 trips a year from Green Valley and Sahuarita to RoadHouse and Harkins theaters up north.
In late 2025, CJR Investments and a RoadHouse Cinemas affiliate bought the 18,166-square-foot building at the Valley Verde Center for $850,000, the Arizona Daily Star reported, with plans for a full remodel. RoadHouse already runs a dine-in theater in Tucson.
The timeline has slid from summer 2026. In May, KGUN 9 reported RoadHouse president Josh Snider was aiming for fall, in time for the holiday movies. This week, RoadHouse's Sahuarita page still shows "coming soon" and no showtimes, so treat any date you hear as a goal until the company posts one.
What's Going Inside the Old Desert Sky
RoadHouse describes the Sahuarita location the same way it pitches its other theaters: oversized recliners with a call button for servers, a restaurant menu created by an award-winning chef, a full bar, digital projection and 7.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. Green Valley News put the count at six auditoriums, matching the old Desert Sky 6.
The outside is getting a makeover too. Public artist Joe Pagac was picked to wrap the building in a mural drawing on RoadHouse's western, cowboy-flavored branding, mostly black and white with touches of red, big enough to see from I-19.
💼 The Jobs: A Restaurant That Happens to Show Movies
A dine-in theater staffs up like a busy restaurant. Every seat gets table service, so it takes servers working the aisles, a full kitchen line, bartenders and expediters getting orders to the right auditorium, plus box office, cleaning crews and managers. That is how you get to 75–80 employees.
RoadHouse's Sahuarita employment page is live and takes online applications. When we checked, it did not list individual openings or pay. It does say the company uses E-Verify and displays a Fair Chance Employer badge, a good sign for applicants with a record who are looking for a fresh start.
No pay, position counts or training dates have been published for this location. Apply if you're interested, but keep your current job until you have an offer and a start date.
💰 Pay: Sahuarita Is Not Tucson
RoadHouse hasn't posted pay for Sahuarita, so here's the floor. The address decides the minimum wage, and 70 W. Duval Mine Rd. is in the Town of Sahuarita, not the City of Tucson. That means the Arizona state minimum applies: $15.15 an hour through December 31, rising to $15.65 on January 1, 2027. Inside Tucson city limits, the same job would carry a $15.45 floor now and $16.00 in January.
Arizona also lets employers pay tipped workers up to $3 an hour less than the minimum when tips make up the difference, so servers and bartenders should ask how pay is structured. Our breakdown of the 2027 Tucson and Arizona minimum wage covers the jurisdiction line in detail.
What It Means for Tucson Job Seekers
This one suits Sahuarita, Green Valley and anyone along I-19 who would rather not commute to midtown for restaurant work. These are the roles a dine-in theater typically fills: anticipated, not confirmed postings.
- Servers: In-theater table service is the heart of the operation. See the server career guide and server jobs in Tucson.
- Line cooks and prep cooks: A full kitchen behind the screens. Read the line cook career guide and prep cook career guide, then search line cook jobs.
- Bartenders: A full bar means cocktails before the show. See the bartender career guide and bartender jobs.
- Box office, hosts and guest services: The front door of the operation. See the host career guide and guest services representative guide.
- Kitchen and floor managers: Experienced leads should look at the kitchen manager career guide.
Browse the full restaurant and food service hub or the hospitality hub to compare what else is hiring.
More Jobs Coming South and Southeast of Tucson
RoadHouse isn't the only employer looking south. The newly approved Copper World mine southeast of Tucson plans more than 1,000 construction jobs and about 500 permanent roles. Working outside city limits? Why paycheck rules change in Marana and Oro Valley applies to Sahuarita too. Prefer restaurant work in town? See Howdy Diner on the Sunshine Mile.
🔎 Search Jobs Now
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Planning your next move? The TucsonHIRED Career Center lays out pay, training and how to get started.
Want the next posting in your inbox? Create a free TucsonHIRED account and set an alert for server, cook or bartender jobs so Sahuarita openings reach you as soon as they go live.
📢 Employers: Hiring Along the I-19 Corridor?
A new 75-person employer is about to compete for Sahuarita and Green Valley workers. Staffing a business south of Tucson? Post your jobs on TucsonHIRED and reach local candidates before the holiday rush.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Where is RoadHouse Cinemas Sahuarita?
RoadHouse Cinemas Sahuarita is at 70 W. Duval Mine Rd., Sahuarita, AZ 85614, in the Valley Verde Center just west of I-19. It is the former Desert Sky Cinema building.
When does RoadHouse Cinemas open in Sahuarita?
No opening date has been announced. RoadHouse's Sahuarita page still says "coming soon" with no showtimes. In May, KGUN 9 reported the company was aiming to open in the fall, in time for the holiday movies.
Is RoadHouse Cinemas hiring in Sahuarita?
RoadHouse's Sahuarita employment page accepts online applications. It does not list specific openings or pay. Green Valley News reported in January that the theater is expected to employ about 75 to 80 people.
What is the minimum wage at RoadHouse Cinemas Sahuarita?
Sahuarita is outside Tucson city limits, so the Arizona state minimum applies: $15.15 an hour through December 31, 2026, and $15.65 starting January 1, 2027. Arizona allows employers to pay tipped workers up to $3 an hour less when tips make up the difference.
Does RoadHouse Cinemas hire people with a criminal record?
RoadHouse's employment page displays a Fair Chance Employer badge and says the company uses E-Verify. Applicants with a record can apply, and each employer makes its own final hiring decisions.
The marquee on Duval Mine Road has been dark for a year and a half. Get your application in now, and you could be the one bringing popcorn and a burger to row C when the lights go down.
