Night Owl Video
Comment: There is enough sourcing for notability here, but there are clear signs of AI usage, which previously showed up in a promotional tone. The big evidence is WP:AIATTR and we can't accept such drafts per WP:NEWLLM. ChrysGalley (talk) 13:29, 8 August 2026 (UTC)
| ISIN | 🆔 |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded 📆 | April 11, 2025 |
| Founders 👔 | Aaron Hamel Jess Mills |
| Headquarters 🏙️ | 288 Grand Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. |
Area served 🗺️ | |
| Products 📟 | 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD, VHS, LaserDisc, film memorabilia |
| Members | |
Number of employees | |
| 🌐 Website | nightowlvid |
| 📇 Address | |
| 📞 telephone | |
Night Owl Video is an independent video store in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. The store opened on April 11, 2025, at 288 Grand Street, and sells films on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD, VHS, and LaserDisc, along with posters and film memorabilia.[1][2] According to The Guardian, it was the first freestanding video store to open in New York City since the closures of Kim's Video and Videology.[3][4]
History
Night Owl Video was founded by Aaron Hamel and Jess Mills, who met while working at the independent film studio Troma Entertainment and later worked together at the Brooklyn-based distributor FilmRise.[5][6] Hamel began his career as a Troma intern while studying at Michigan State University and served as an assistant director and co-writer on Return to Nuke 'Em High Volume 1. He also co-founded Ship to Shore PhonoCo., a record label that released video game soundtracks on vinyl, which he sold after roughly a decade; proceeds from the sale helped fund the store.[7][2]
In interviews, Hamel and Mills said they opened the store in response to the fragmentation of streaming services and the removal of films from streaming catalogs.[3][1] The store opened on April 11, 2025.[1] The Guardian reported that, to the founders' knowledge, Night Owl was the only freestanding video store in New York City at the time of its opening.[3]
Operations
Night Owl Video buys, sells, and trades physical media, including current releases and vintage titles, and also sells playback hardware such as VCRs.[8] By early 2026, VHS tapes accounted for an estimated 30 to 40 percent of sales by volume, a share the owners attributed largely to younger customers.[7]
The store hosts in-store pop-ups and film events in partnership with independent distributors, including the restoration label Vinegar Syndrome, and participates in offsite repertory screenings.[7][1] It is located on a stretch of Grand Street that local business owners have nicknamed "Analog Alley", which also includes a horror bookstore, a tabletop game shop, and arcade-themed bars.[7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Rahmanan, Anna (April 3, 2025). "An old-school video store is opening in Williamsburg next week". Time Out New York. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wilson, Lena (March 31, 2025). "A new video store is opening in Williamsburg, like an 'uncanny valley Blockbuster'". Gothamist. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "'Death to streamers!': can a New York video store start a revolution?". The Guardian. April 2025. Retrieved August 7, 2026 – via AOL.
- ↑ "Williamsburg's New Video Store Night Owl Is Ready to Fight the Streamers". Brooklyn Magazine. April 1, 2025. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Night Owl Video in Brooklyn Brings Back Physical Media". Residential Systems. March 21, 2025. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Night Owl Video Store Is Reviving Physical Media in Williamsburg". Greenpointers. April 9, 2025. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Beame, Abe (February 11, 2026). "Reviving The Dream of Physical Media at Night Owl in Williamsburg". Brooklyn Magazine. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
- ↑ Rincon, Sonia (April 16, 2025). "Night Owl Video in Williamsburg, Brooklyn rewinds time with old school movie-buying experience". ABC7 New York. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
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