Author Archives: mrdrivein

Harpersville AL reopens with a new name

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The Harpersville (AL) Drive-In, which closed last year, reopened on October 8 this year, according to a story in the Shelby County Reporter. New owners Phillip and Stacy Padgett expanded the concession menu to add burgers and hot dogs, but the biggest change is the new name: The Twilight 280 Drive-In.

One thing that hasn’t changed yet is the projection system. Both screens still use film, though Padgett plans to upgrade to digital at some point. He also plans for the drive-in to host special events throughout the year.

You know, in all the years I’ve followed drive-in news, I’ve never seen this many startups and reopenings in such a short time. That this should all happen in the fall rather than the typical spring drive-in wake-up season just makes it all the more remarkable. Good times!

To read more about the Padgett’s plans and the new The Twilight 280, and to check out a photo from the Reporter article, you need to go read it!

Video update: Starlite still has sound problems

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A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Starlite Drive-In of Christiansburg VA and its problems with its neighbors. Or maybe it’s the neighbors who are having problems with the Starlite’s back-to-basics idea of providing movie sound using outdoor loudspeakers. Now there’s a new development that’s caught the attention of WSLS, Roanoke’s News Leader, and given me the opportunity to embed this video.

Starlite owner Peggy Beasley wants the Christiansburg town council to amend its noise ordinance to give the drive-in more leeway in turning up the volume outside. Neighbors oppose the idea, Starlite fans support the idea, and the town hopes that there will be some way to reach a compromise. The drive-in is closed for the season, so at least they have time to work something out.

Seriously, the Starlite just needs to keep its FM sound (shown in the news clip), then buy a few dozen cheap FM radios to rent at the concession stand. Anyone who can’t get their ignition key in the right position to watch a movie without running down their battery can just plunk down a couple bucks a show, or they’ll learn to buy and bring their own FM radio. The rental fees will pay for the radios, the neighbors will be happy again, and the drive-in could just get back to business. What do you think?

Coyote opens in Lewisville TX

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Coyote Drive-In marqueeIn the latest of this fall’s drive-in openings, this weekend the Coyote Drive-In chain added its third location, in Lewisville TX. This one has five screens and the usual Coyote mixture of restaurant, bar, and a modern movie experience.

I had hoped to add some local TV video of the grand opening or at least some newspaper coverage, but I couldn’t find any. There are plenty of stories leading up to it, including articles in the Lewisville Leader, the Denton Record-Chronicle, D Magazine, and even the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Since there’s nothing since, that should mean that all went well.

According to the Record-Chronicle, which also has a couple of nice photos, the Coyote folks have learned from their first location in Fort Worth. There, the bar and concession area are outdoors, but they’re inside a 10,000 square foot building in Lewisville. “The indoor area of the canteen is mainly to have an area where people can be comfortable in the heat,” said Steve Winn, the Coyote’s chief operating officer. “We’ll often have 3,000 or 4,000 people here on a Friday night, … and we needed to have a facility that could handle that kind of crowd and feed them dinner.”

There’s more information in all of those pre-opening articles, so to immerse yourself in this good news, you should go read ’em!