By Casey Miner and Tasneem Paghdiwala Raja/Oakland North

For twelve years, Oakland’s Parkway Speakeasy Theater was a community mainstay: a place to grab a beer, park yourself on a couch, watch a cheap movie and catch up with friends.

But like many other small businesses, the Parkway has had a hard time weathering the recession. Last Wednesday, owners Kyle and Catherine Fischer announced that a combination of money troubles and landlord issues meant the theater had to close.

Within 24 hours of the announcement, thousands of people joined a Facebook group dedicated to saving the theater. Tickets to the final weekend shows sold out hours in advance. And on Sunday night, with a line of well-wishers stretching around the block, the Parkway opened its doors for the last time.