It is noted for its double features and for frequent screenings of cult films such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Room.

The Mayfair is a surviving atmospheric cinema of the Spanish Revival form, the second theatre house of this kind to be constructed in Ottawa.

Other significant features include stained-glass windows, a proscenium arch, a painted ceiling, decorative plastering and wrought ironwork.

[3] After The Blue Danube completed a three-day run, the Mayfair presented its first double bill with Bring 'Em Back Alive and X Marks the Spot.

[5] In October 1981, the Mayfair adopted a repertory format and in the following month Keith Davidson became theatre manager.

The Mayfair became known for its economical double features which were introduced in June 1982 for five days each week, excluding Sundays and Mondays when Chinese-language films would be presented.

[5] The Mayfair cancelled a planned showing of Videodrome in April 1983 when police threatened the theatre with obscenity charges.

[7] Director Michael Rubbo rented the theatre for three days in early 1986 to conduct a "four-waller" promotion for his film The Peanut Butter Solution which had fared poorly in the English Canadian market.

In July 2009 two of the founding members of the new partnership, John Yemen and Paul Gordon left the group to pursue other projects.

The theatre also reports continued success with its annual Halloween screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.