“People must come to a venue three times to be sold on it,” says the actor and associate artistic director of The Naples Dinner Theatre. With the theater now in its third season, thousands of patrons have gotten past “it was wonderful the first time,” through a second show where “the quality isn’t a fluke,” to a wholehearted “yes, the new Naples Dinner Theatre is really good,” he says.

Thank goodness.

Owners Michael Wainstein, Stuart Glazer and Marcus, who rebirthed the community dinner theater on Immokalee Road in 1999, remain on target to turn their first profit this season, given that tourist rates continue, the economy holds up and the weather cooperates.

“So far, every month this year has been better than the same month the year before,” says an optimistic Wainstein, the artistic director.

The partners are relieved and delighted that the 2000-2001 season, the theater’s second winter of operation, delivered a 30 percent to 40 percent increase over the first season. They attribute the growing revenue to a 500 percent jump in out-of-town group sales, consistent local newspaper advertising and word of mouth. Summer 2001 doubled the income of the previous summer, drawing more families with children’s shows and a four-week theater camp.

Now, they aim to raise seats sold in the 2001-2002 season—which began in late October—from approximately 90 percent to 100 percent. That goal means they’ll have to fill all 350 seats for every show throughout each play’s average seven-week run.

Winter numbers must be high in order to top off the summer sales break-even point of 35 percent to 40 percent and to allow the owners a salary.

The partners say they’re getting smarter at optimizing income and minimizing costs despite supplier price increases and unanticipated building refurbishing costs. This past summer, for example, maturing management savvy translated to the need to borrow 30 percent less from themselves than the year before to see them through to the next season.

Throughout the sometimes arduous learning curve, the new owners have steadfastly refused to compromise quality. Professional Broadway performances this season include “Carousel,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum” and “Fiddler on the Roof.” They continue to experiment with off-beat successes, such as “Tony ‘n’ Tina’s Wedding,” which appeal to younger audiences and non-traditional theatergoers.

And the partners take pride in investing two to three times more than the average dinner theater in serving top-notch meals.

“People often comment in surprise on our excellent food,” says managing director Glazer, who oversees restaurant service. He recently hired chef Chris Blinn to dish up creative entrees like sea bass with watermelon salsa, grilled chicken Provencale and Asian barbeque marinated pork loin.

Marcus, Wainstein and Glazer manage a retinue that can total 100 staff and cast members.

“It’s pretty mind-boggling,” Marcus says. “None of our past business experience prepared us for meeting a payroll of $1.5 million a year. Imagine going into your pocket and pulling out a million and a half dollars.”

The cost of quality is high. On evenings when they pull in less than $2,000, balancing the books looks tough. On matinee days, they pray for rain. Going forward, the venture’s success will turn on achieving a reliable bedrock of local support.

Currently, the theater draws 70 percent seasonal residents, 20 percent tourists and 10 percent residents from surrounding communities. The partners say they envision that 10 percent swelling exponentially, mostly via subscription attendance and voluntary donations, “like the Phil.”

S. Alison Chabonais is a freelance writer based in Bonita Springs.