Latest news with #drivein
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Burgers, nostalgia and tradition: Keller's Drive-In serves up a slice of Dallas history
Celebrating burgers and tradition at Keller's Drive-In in Dallas Celebrating burgers and tradition at Keller's Drive-In in Dallas Celebrating burgers and tradition at Keller's Drive-In in Dallas On National Hamburger Day, there's no better place to celebrate than Keller's Drive-In, a Dallas institution that's been flipping patties and serving customers straight to their cars for decades. Some even call it the longest-running drive-in in North Texas — and its burgers speak for themselves. A bite of burger history CBS News Texas If you've never been to Keller's, you're missing out on more than just a meal. You're stepping into a slice of Dallas history. Owner Jack Keller has been part of the family business since he was just six years old. "The whole world has changed," Keller said. "The inside of Keller's hasn't changed, OK?" In a world of gourmet burger joints and trendy toppings, Keller's keeps it simple — and affordable. A double meat cheeseburger, fries, and a drink still come in under $10. And yes, you can still get a cold beer for $2.75, tax included. Behind the grill I tried my hand at working the grill, but let's just say I'll leave the cooking to the pros. "This spatula is balanced just right," Keller told me, comparing it to a samurai sword. My technique? Not quite up to par. "Not a professional, clearly," he joked. But what I lacked in cooking skills, I made up for in appetite. "Yeah, I could eat 10 or 12 of these," I said after my first bite — and I meant it. More than a meal For Keller, the drive-in is about more than burgers. It's about community and accessibility. "It's weirdly enough connected to freedom," he said. "Where anybody can come and not worry about how much they spend here and really enjoy the experience." So if you're looking for a place to celebrate National Hamburger Day — or just want a taste of nostalgia — Keller's Drive-In is ready to serve you, carhop style.
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
The Enduring Appeal of the American Drive-In
My heart racing, I lay hidden with friends in the back of a wood-paneled station wagon as another teenager in our group steered us through the dimly lit ticket window, purchasing a single ticket. Once clear, and after selecting a parking spot, we shook out a blanket and sat back to relish the warm summer night, our unchaperoned independence and the glow of the larger-than-life outdoor movie screen. This was in the 1980s, and my memories, of course, are colored by nostalgia. But has anything really changed at drive-ins across America? Now decades later, I recently visited three drive-in theaters within a few hours of Bozeman, Mont., my hometown. Turning a deaf ear to political broadcasts and concerns about my teenage son's extreme-sports endeavors, I welcomed the opportunity to attend screenings at the American Dream Drive-In in Powell, Wyo.; the Motor Vu Drive-In in Idaho Falls, Idaho; and the Silver Bow Drive-In in Butte, Mont. It doesn't take long to see that no two drive-ins are alike. The American Dream features original 1950s speakers, a vintage auto night and cheese fries. The Motor Vu touts an enormous movie screen (approximately 6,400 square feet), an expansive parking lot (470 spaces) and a packed community night with a bouncy house for kids. The Silver Bow has beautiful mountain views, twin screens and a longstanding place in the community (it opened in 1977). It also didn't take long for me to realize that the enduring power of drive-in movies is that they are at once transportive — a brief cinematic excursion to somewhere new — and accessible. You don't need a flight reservation or itinerary. You don't even have to drive in; you can often pedal or walk through the entrance gate. Depending on how, when and where you attend, you could be part of a lively panorama colored by rows of both big ranch trucks and electric cars, along with lawn chairs, blankets, pajama-clad kids, Frisbees, hacky sacks, cornhole boards, footballs, baseballs, hammocks, dogs, hot dogs and fresh popcorn — and maybe even a sunset eclipsed by the screen. You could also be a part of a quiet starlit night with shorter concession lines and less competition for a good parking spot. One commonality, it seems: Every drive-in claims to have the best popcorn. And all three of the theaters I visited are family owned and operated. Each attracts a broad community of attendees, including beet and hay farmers, dairy farmers, welders, teachers, emergency medical workers, face painters, horse trainers, plumbers, landscapers, mechanics, stay-at-home moms, cosmetologists, aestheticians, engineers, nurses, hometown doctors and small-town lawyers. There's a multigenerational aspect to the moviegoers, too. Kathleen Heny, who goes by Pokey and has owned American Dream for 20 years, says she is now starting to see the kids and grandkids of former attendees at shows. Sara Kindred, 30, a native of Powell, is one of them. She has been visiting the drive-in since she was 5 and now comes with her dog in tow. As it goes in small towns, Ms. Kindred knows Pokey's family: Pokey's mom used to work for Ms. Kindred's grandfather at a family-owned trucking company. At Silver Bow, I met Darrion McCracken and his partner, Vinny Juarez, who was wearing a geometrically patterned orange sweater reminiscent of the hallway carpeting in 'The Shining.' The couple has been coming to the Silver Bow for 14 years. 'We live out here during the summer,' Mr. McCracken said. The couple's loyalty to the Silver Bow has inspired them to help preserve it. Because the drive-in was recently threatened by nearby development, both have attended public meetings in hopes of protecting the theater and the surrounding land. Modern drive-ins face a number of other obstacles, too, including the competition of streaming services, the high cost of land, the expense of new industry technologies required for showing a movie, and the cost of general upkeep around the property. In some ways, it's amazing these theaters still exist. Richard Hollingshead opened the first drive-in theater in New Jersey in 1933. By some accounts, he was inspired by an effort to accommodate his mother, who was uncomfortable in traditional theater seats. The invention — he patented the idea — gained popularity with the introduction of in-car speakers, and by the 1950s and '60s there were more than 4,000 drive-ins throughout America. Today that number has dwindled to around 285 theaters, according to the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association. (John Vincent, the president of the association, is also part owner of the Wellfleet Drive-In and Cinemas in Cape Cod.) Jeff Ernster, an expert on all things outdoor theater, has made a name for himself in drive-in circles by traveling to about 30 theaters a year from his home base in Laramie, Wyo. Mr. Ernster says he sees about 150 shows a year. Often he goes to the same movie at the same theater multiple times, since the drive-in, he said, is as much about the experience as it is about the movie. At showtime at the Silver Bow, I watched as the light softened and the mountains grew bright with alpine glow. And, as I appreciated the moment of calm, I thought about something Mr. Ernster had told me: 'You don't have to agree on everything to be able to hang out and enjoy the show.'
CBS News
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Memory Lane Drive-In movie theater reopens in Monroe this week, with a new rule
In a matter of days, the Memory Lane Drive-In movie theater will reopen under new rules that the operators hope will keep the theater running for years to come. Memory Lane opened in 2021 on the site of the former Denniston Drive-In, which closed in 1985. The selections there have traditionally included a mix of first-run and retro films. "Memory Lane is special because it's something that people want to come to. It's a destination generation after generation, and that's what we want," said Sue Christy, who is stepping in to help run the theater alongside her husband. In recent years, the drive-in was struggling to stay afloat. Among the reasons for that was dwindling attendance. "We want to be open, we want to serve our customers. Customers are everything to us," Christy said. "Movies are fabulous, but if you don't have the customers, you don't have nothing." Another reason the theater was having trouble making ends meet was that attendees often brought in their own food. Christy explained that much of the money from movie ticket sales goes right back to the movie studios and distributors. Without income from their own food sales, the business is hard to run. Because of that, the drive-in is trying out a new rule: If you want to bring a picnic, you'll need to pay the $20 fee to bring in outside food and drinks. The hope, she said, is to encourage people to try the drive-in's snacks. "We have it here. You don't have to go anywhere else," Christy said. The theater will be showing first-run movies of all genres. Christy said their two screens mean they can have a family-friendly movie on one and a date night movie on the other. She said she's excited and nervous to see the drive-in come back to life. "But it's a good nervous and I look forward to it, to the whole season," Christy said. Elle Meyers Elle Meyers joined the CBS News Detroit team in April of 2023 after spending two years covering Michigan's capitol. Elle is an Oregon native and a graduate of the University of Oregon (go Ducks!), where she double majored in journalism and political science, both of which have served her well in her journey to Detroit. contributed to this report.
