After 20 years at the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse , the beloved Columbia Pike venue’s owners are passing the torch to the business’s longtime manager.

Pete Fejeran, who has managed the comedy club and theater at 2903 Columbia Pike for the past 12 years, has taken ownership alongside his wife Kathryn McAbee. Former owners Tim Clark and Greg Godbout are stepping down to pursue “other opportunities,” Fejeran said.

“We’re really excited to continue the great traditions of the comedy and other events that the Drafthouse has been doing for so many years,” Fejeran told ARLnow.

During their two decades at the Drafthouse, Clark and Godbout added live comedy to the venue’s lineup in 2006, re-introduced first-run movies in 2016 and charted a difficult course through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Godbout, who is also an entrepreneur and CEO of a Georgia-based tech company , announced his departure from the Drafthouse on LinkedIn last week, shortly after graduating with a master’s degree in AI from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

“An estimated 620,000 people have come to laugh here, and helping to deliver that joy will always be one of my proudest achievements as owner,” he wrote.

Fejeran and McAbee live in Arlington and co-own Pike Cornerstone, a casual restaurant across the street from the Drafthouse. The husband-wife duo opened the eatery last spring at the former site of Rebellion on the Pike .

The couple said they look forward to maintaining the Drafthouse’s current entertainment schedule and its “family business” feel. Regulars should fear not — drastic changes are not in the works.

“We’re really excited about continuing the great asset to the community and the whole D.C. region everyone’s known and loved for decades,” McAbee said. “I hope they’ll continue to come and enjoy great comedy shows.”

Looking ahead, Fejeran said that they plan to reboot the Arlington Drafthouse’s podcast, which debuted in 2017 with interviews featuring comedians.

He said the new podcast will focus on comedy as well as local community figures.