Filmmakers aren’t the only ones who frequently have to be “scrappy” to make their dreams a reality. Independent cinema owners face their own challenges, and even more so, owners of drive-in theaters.
On the latest podcast, we’re chatting with Matt McClanahan and Lauren McChesney, the owners of Shankweiler’s Drive-In Theatre, which happens to be America’s oldest operating drive-in. Matt and Lauren purchased the theater in 2022 after it had been for sale for several years. They talk about not only facing industry headwinds, but drive-in specific issues like weather, equipment failure, and super-thin margins.