Note to readers: Summer is officially here and for small, seasonal businesses it’s the kick-off to their peak season. Plant nurseries, greenhouses, ice cream stands, drive-ins, campgrounds and outdoor tourist attractions are among businesses that cater to summer activities. Over the course of the summer, Southern Indiana Business Report will feature some of these small businesses, the challenges they face as well as the upside of owning seasonal business. Today, meet Steve Wilson, owner of the Holiday Drive-In in Mitchell.
Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
MITCHELL – Nothing quite captures summer like taking in a movie at a drive-in theater.
A warm night, a starry sky and one giant outdoor screen experienced over a shared box of popcorn is the ultimate summer experience. Drive-ins, at one time, were so common, one didn’t have to go far to find one.
As of 2022, Indiana had about 20 drive-ins still in operation. One of them is in Lawrence County.
Steve Wilson of Orleans owns the Holiday Drive-In, located on Ind. 37 between Mitchell and Orleans.
The Holiday Drive-In is Lawrence County’s only outdoor theater. George Webb opened the Holiday in 1962; Wilson is the third owner. Wilson, who previously owned a photography studio for 20 years in Paoli, started working at the drive-in about 22 years ago. He was friends with then owner Robert Limeberry, who sold it to Wilson in 2005.
If you remember, 2006 was the year Indiana began observing Daylight Saving Time. The extra hour of daylight meant drive-in movies had to delay their start times. In the middle of summer, when the days are the longest, the second movie might not end until 2 a.m.
“Daylight savings probably robbed us of 40% of our business,” Wilson said. “In this part of the country, everybody goes to work at 5:30 in the morning, which doesn’t help. Even 20 years later, it’s been a tremendous hurdle and still is.”
Keeping up with technology
The drive-in experience may evoke nostalgia, but movie technology is constantly evolving. And for a business that only operates about six months a year, it can be difficult to recoup the costs of new investments.
Wilson said he’s been fortunate to meet some “guardian angels” who have made it possible for him to stay up with technology.
“The Holiday Drive-In doesn’t make enough money to pay for an $85,000 projector but 10 years ago I was able to buy a used projector for $15,000 and that saved our drive-in,” he said.
Wilson is a member of the United Drive-in Theater Owners Association, which has helped him find good deals on used projectors and learn best practices as an owner.
“Without them, I wouldn’t be here,” he said.
At one time, more than 4,000 drive-ins dotted the U.S. landscape. Families, couples and carloads of teenagers parked in front of giant screens to take in the latest action movie or animated film.
From 1978-88 the industry experienced a sharp decline, with more than 1,000 screen closings, according to the United Drive-in Theater Owners Association.
The UDITOA reported closings were driven by:
- Aging owners looking to retire
- Difficulty obtaining first-run movies
- Increases in land values that made selling the land for redevelopment an attractive option
- More entertainment options (video games, multiplexes)
In the 1990s, there was renewed interest in drive-ins. New drive-ins were built and existing ones that had closed re-opened. Owners looking to retire were able to find new buyers instead of selling the land for redevelopment.
Head winds, however, remain. For the Holiday Drive-in, being in a rural area with a small population is a challenge.
“Drive-ins that are closer to cities, they do fine. It’s the little guys in towns like Mitchell that struggle the hardest,” Wilson said. “I just persevere. It’s the funnest job I’ve ever had in my life. I like all the dynamics of it from being the food manager, projector manager, all the pieces of the puzzle are things I’ve learned over a lifetime.”
Fortunately, the nostalgic appeal of drive-ins has created legions of fans. And Wilson said it’s not unusual for customers to drive 50, 60 or 70 miles to visit the Holiday.
Just like his customers, Wilson feels the same nostalgia for drive-ins.
Growing up in Paoli, he has fond memories of his family going to the Paoli drive-in.
“My dad was an avid fan of drive-in movie theaters and we’d end up there two or three nights a week,” he recalled. “The projection room had a port window and I would look in and watch the projectionist. Back then movies came in five or six reels and used two projectors.”
Wilson was fascinated with the behind-the-scenes aspect of movie operations.
The Holiday opens each spring in mid-April. At 69, Wilson said he still looks forward to the start of the season, even though it means 70-hour weeks.
“I really have a good time at it, but I wish I was younger,” he said with a laugh.
Wilson handles the mowing – the drive-in sits on 10 acres – takes out the trash, manages deliveries and tracks inventory. He uses a booking service that provides a selection of movies and he chooses what he thinks movie-goers will like.
Long hours aside, Wilson said owning a business that brings joy to so many people never gets old.
“People show up and you find them at their very best,” he said. “They’re looking forward to a good evening and we always make sure we have the best food items we can find. We have some people who come to the gate just for the food.”
The drive-in can hold 300 vehicles. With so many entertainment options available, sell-outs don’t happen as often as they used to, but Wilson said the right movies and good weather will bring in a pretty good crowd.
For a time during the 1980s, Wilson worked at the Orleans Theater, which Limeberry also owned. That’s where he began learning about the theater business from Limeberry, but he never expected he would own the Holiday Drive-in.
“Several people wanted to take over the business, I asked him once, ‘Why did you pick me?’ He said, ‘Steve, you’re the hardest working fool I’ve ever met and I want you to take it over.’”
Wilson hasn’t let his friend down.
About the Holiday Drive-In
The Holiday Drive-In, 1055 Ind. 37, Mitchell, is open Fridays and Saturdays from mid-April to mid-October.
The drive-in employs a staff of six.