Author Archives: mrdrivein

St. Albans Drive-In is for sale

Posted on by

WFFF, Burlington VT’s news leader, came up with a great bit of investigative reporting. It found that the St. Albans Drive-In, just across the border in St. Albans NH VT, is for sale. The implication is that St. Albans’ future is in doubt.

According to WFFF, the St. Albans had been owned by Paul Gamache, who died in January. Now his son, Anthony Gamache, owns the place, and he wasn’t talking to WFFF. Oh, and did we mention that there’s a new Walmart being built across the street?

A nice touch at the end of the report: “Regardless of the motive for selling it on the drive-in’s real estate listing the property is called superb for retail.”

Iowa’s 61 Drive-In reopens with digital projection

Posted on by

KWWL, Waterloo IA’s news leader, provides with yet another happy story of a nearby drive-in converting to digital projection in time for the opening of the 2013 season. In this case, it’s the 61 Drive-In of nearby Delmar.

I love what 61 Drive-In owner Dennis Voy said when a reporter asked him why he spent all that money on the new projection equipment. “It was either making the conversion or going out of business,” he said,” and we have too many drive-in theater fans in the eastern Iowa area that enjoy this theater.”

It’s great to see another example of a drive-in doing what it will take to stay with us for a long time to come.

Niagara CCC excited about Transit’s reopening

Posted on by

Sunset at the Transit Drive-InIn the Niagara County (NY) Community College newspaper, The Spirit, there’s a front-page story about the reopening of the Transit Drive-In of South Lockport. The lengthy article (4.2 MB PDF) by Katie Murawski fairly gushes about the place “that looks as inviting to drive by as it is going in.”

According to the article, business is more than sufficient to support this largest of New York drive-ins. Murawski writes, “It’s not uncommon to drive past on the weekend and see a line of cars about a mile long just waiting to get their spot.”

In addition to the renovated snack bar (always a good idea), another thing I like hearing about the Transit is its retro night Tuesdays. On what would otherwise be a disappointing box office night, the folks there instead show older films such as The Goonies and Ghostbusters. I’ll bet that taps into a whole different audience, and the film rental has got to be a lot cheaper. If you’ve got a broadband connection for that big PDF, then go check it out!