Yesterday’s black-tie, red-carpet soiree in Kingston is more about unbridled optimism than glitz and glamour. The affair celebrated four businessmen and their efforts in turning an old firehall into a community gathering place.

The Kingston Firehouse, which opened in grand fashion Thursday, and Oak Table Restaurant, which opened May 6, boast Kingston’s first-ever movie theater. More importantly, the restaurant offers Kingstonites something for which they’ve been starving: a morning gathering place to chat over a plate of eggs and bacon.

This has been lacking in the community since the Kingston Inn burned down in 2005.

Homegrown businessman Craig Smith — who spends his spare time coaching soccer at Kingston High — and partners Dave Wetter and son James, and Rick Lanning set out in 2006 to transform the old firehouse into a one-screen theater. The project turned into a whole lot more. Now, in addition to the movie theater and restaurant, Smith’s Peninsula Video is also housed in the building.

“So it came down to,‘What do we need in Kingston?’ ” Dave Wetter told What’s Up reporter Bill Mickelson last week. “And it was pretty obvious that we needed a breakfast restaurant.”

The crew was enthusiastic about the project from the start.

“There seems to be a lot of excitement about this, way beyond Kingston,” Smith said. “I’ve been noticing it dramatically, trying to put my finger on it all. I think one, there’s a need for it. And it’s cool, and it’s endearing. But it’s also a broader investment of the community to the arts — which is an essential part that a lot of communities are lacking.”

The movie house is providing more than a place to eat breakfast or catch a Saturday matinee. It’s injecting the community with a sense of optimism and pride that is so desperately needed. Four men, despite the economy, worked for three years to create something for which Kingston can be proud. Good job, guys. And thank you.