PLEASANT GROVE, Utah — It’s a time of great uncertainty because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many businesses are having to adjust their business models to stay open. In Pleasant Grove, Water Gardens Cinema 6 opened an impromptu drive-in theater Friday night.
The idea was thrown around a week ago, and quickly became a reality with help from several people in the community, one of the owners, Michael Daniels, said.
“People started saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got an FM transmitter’, another person said, ‘Well, I’ve got a stage crew and equipment and we are kind of dead right now -- all our gigs got canceled’,” he said.
Just one week later, with approval from the health department, the first double feature was ready to go.
“It’s a little bit retro, but its time has come,” Daniels said.
People must stay inside their cars and must purchase tickets online. Concessions can be bought online and delivered to the customer's spot.
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It does two things: keeps employees employed and gives people a safe form of entertainment.
“Well, if they are in their car and they’ve got their windows up and they’ve got the soundtrack on their own stereo, I think that will work,” he said.
While people cannot go inside the movie theater, this gives an opportunity for people to enjoy a night out while taking them back in time. People can buy tickets online. It’s $15 per car for a single movie and $20 per car for a double feature.
“We remember when we were young, we could do that out here. That was the nostalgia part,” Daniels said.
Beyond the movies, the theater is also offering curbside concessions all day long. The popcorn has been very popular as people drive up to take movie theater popcorn home.
Daniels hopes all movie theaters in the area will follow suit and offer a drive-in movie opportunity for people to enjoy and help keep people working.
“If we as business owners and as a community can keep our people working, they can continue to buy their groceries, they can continue to pay for the things that they need to,” he said.
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