Opportunity in the pandemic: Madera’s drive-in theater opens with extended season

Given the amount of hype Bob Gran Jr. has seen in the past few days, he’s expecting a sell-out at the Madera 2 Drive-In this weekend.

“How about 1,500 hits in an hour, when we released the information on Facebook?” says Gran, whose family has owned the drive-in on Lincoln Avenue since 1972.

Or driving through town and hearing a radio DJ plug the drive-in’s season opening.

“They gave me free advertising,” Gran says.

The theater opens for the season Friday night with two double-features. Side A caters to families and kids, with “Trolls World Tour” and “Doolittle.” Side B features Rian Johnson’s whodunnit “Knives Out” and the political satire “The Hunt.”

Both screenings start at dusk and feature an intermission between films. Admission is $10 for adults, $4 for kids 3-11 — and cash only.

“We’re old school,” says Gran, who was at the theater on Wednesday and Thursday pre-selling tickets in an effort to keep the box office from being overwhelmed.

Coronavirus rules

The cash-only requirement is one of several changes the theater has made in order to comply with safety guidelines from state and Madera County health officials as a precaution against the coronavirus.

The number of vehicles allowed inside will be capped at a total of 200 for both sides, to allow 10 to 15 feet between each parked car. Typically, the theater can accommodate 300 cars on a sold-out night.

Attendees must watch the movies from inside their vehicles. A truck bed is considered inside the vehicle, Gran says. Sitting on lawn chair or blankets outside the car will not be allowed.

Face coverings are required for anyone who leaves the car — to visit the snack bar or restroom, for example — and social-distancing rules will be in place throughout the theater grounds. A full list of regulations is posted on the theater’s Facebook page and Gran suggests people read them before coming out.

“The last thing we want to do is have to ask someone to leave,” he says.

Pandemic means opportunities for drive-ins

While the coronavirus pandemic has wrecked havoc on indoor multiplexes, of which Gran’s family also owns several including Movies Madera, it has injected new life into the drive-in industry.

And it may have some staying power.

On a typical year, Gran runs movies from Easter into August. That’s when school resumes and high school and college sports start cutting into the business. By late summer, the movie studios also start running out of the blockbuster titles.

The pandemic has thrown all of that into question. School campuses are closed for now and movie studios have delayed the release of big films.

Gran thinks he could be operating into October this year.

“I should have good product all the way through,” he says.

And even as traditional entertainment options reopen — indoor theaters are in Stage 3 of the state’s plan — people will still be leery of confined spaces, Gran says. He’s seen box office numbers of theaters in Texas, which aren’t under strict protocols, and they aren’t good.

“At the drive-in, people know how clean their car is,” he says.

“I’m becoming a very viable entertainment solution.”

This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 10:47 AM.