Drive-in movie theaters saw a surge in customers during the pandemic. Are they sticking around?

Drive-ins helped movie theaters keep afloat during the pandemic, when their destiny was in severe doubt. Now, years later, drive-in theaters are nonetheless offering a small however significant increase for the business.

Drive-ins accounted for a significant portion of field workplace income in 2020, as a consequence of social distancing insurance policies that decreased leisure choices. From late March via mid-August of 2020, drive-ins generated 85% of field workplace income in the United States, in comparison with 2.9% during the similar time interval in 2019, in line with Comscore knowledge offered to NCS.

As pandemic restrictions eased, movie-goers started to return to brick-and-mortar cinemas, and a few drive-in places shuttered for good. In 2024, roughly 283 drive-ins had been working nationwide, down from about 305 in 2019 and 318 in 2021, in line with the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association (UDITOA). Numbers weren’t accessible for 2020.

There had been 4,063 drive-ins working in the United States in 1958, the affiliation estimated, citing business sources.

According to Euronews, the live performance was open to 250 automobiles.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1067″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>

According to Euronews, the live performance was open to 250 automobiles.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1067″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>

a drive-thru naturalization ceremony in Detroit on June 17.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1600″ width=”2400″ loading=’lazy’/>

Art Parking drive-in pageant in Prague, Czech Republic, on April 24. The pageant, created partly in response to the coronavirus outbreak, will proceed till June 30.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1067″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>

wrote Samantha Swindler of The Oregonian/OregonReside. “Four dancers, in short shorts and pasties, perform under cover of an outdoor tent in the club parking lot, while customers wait for their orders in their cars.”” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1067″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>

their drive-thru commencement get together in Knoxville, Tennessee, on April 26. They had simply graduated from highschool.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1143″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>

Maple Lawn Farms drive-thru strawberry pageant on April 26.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1066″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>

funeral for Tom Minh Nguyen in Muhlenberg Township, Pennsylvania, on April 16. There was a drive-up viewing so mourners might pay their respects with out getting out of their vehicles. Only relations stood subsequent to the grave. Everyone else might take heed to the audio via their automobile radios.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1018″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>

The occasion, put collectively by the nonprofit group Farm to Table Guam, provided produce grown by native farmers and was set to run for 4 hours. But it was minimize quick as a result of the majority of the produce was bought in about half the time. ” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1053″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>

Related story: How the pandemic has modified schooling” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1067″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>

Related story: With folks out of labor, meals banks are stepping up” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1067″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>

her drive-thru celebration in Henderson, Kentucky, on March 27. Thompson, a resident at the Colonial Assisted Living facility, was turning 97, and he or she had a drive-thru get together as a result of she was unable to have a good time with household and buddies.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1039″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>

Drive-thrus and drive-ins: How we’re counting on our vehicles during the pandemic

“It’s a labor of love,” mentioned John Vincent, president of UDITOA. “For the most part, we’re independently owned. For many, it’s a second job.”

Drive-ins sometimes provide barely cheaper tickets and concessions in comparison with the business’s ruling theater chains. AMC, as an example, might value about $26 for an IMAX ticket outdoors of Baltimore, Maryland, whereas a double screening at the native Bengies Drive-In would value roughly $12.50 per particular person.

Much like their indoor theater counterparts, concessions drive the bulk of earnings at drive-ins.

Donna Saunders, the co-owner of Ohio’s Field of Dreams and Van-Del Drive-in theaters, mentioned drive-ins would “go out of business” if customers didn’t purchase concessions. She described drive-ins as one among the earliest “dinner and a movie” ideas, typically with extra meals choices than conventional theaters.

Even as demand has waned since the pandemic, some organizers are reopening shuttered drive-ins.

“We have these younger couples purchasing drive-in theaters or reopening drive-ins to carry it on, so it has great name recognition of the experience,” mentioned Mike Kerz, co-owner of the Midway Drive-in Theater in Illinois and a UDITOA board member.

Last 12 months, Paul Cole reopened the Rose City Drive-In, a theater in Newark, New York, that opened in 1956 and closed practically three many years later. Attendance has been “okay,” Cole mentioned: About 25 vehicles got here every night time final Friday via Sunday for showings of Disney’s “Fantastic Four” and “Freakier Friday,” however he’d choose as many as 70 vehicles on a weekend night time.

“We took an opportunity to reopen this and try to get people outlets for recreation in our region,” Cole mentioned.

Donna Saunders and her husband, Rod, credited a part of the latest decline in drive-in attendance to youthful movie followers leaving the venues as the 2020 expertise fades for a lot of. Some folks deliver their grandchildren to drive-ins as a part of an ongoing cycle to encourage youthful generations to attend drive-ins, Saunders mentioned.

Drive-ins typically do effectively with throwback and retro content material, mentioned Saunders. On Labor Day weekend, as an example, Universal Pictures’ “Jaws” will re-release for its fiftieth anniversary.

Victor Bonacore, who manages Ohio’s Dixie Twin Drive-in, estimated a median of 150 vehicles attend on a given Friday night time. Since he doesn’t count on main releases for the the rest of August, he’s planning an ’80s weekend — he plans to point out the 1985 launch of “The Goonies” adopted by Zach Cregger’s latest hit, “Weapons,” on one display screen. Alternatively, “E.T.” will likely be on the second display screen. (“Weapons” was launched by Warner Bros. Pictures, which shares a mum or dad firm with NCS.)

“Nostalgia is a huge part of our society and I feel like people will still … come out for it,” mentioned Bonacore.