Malco Theatres is reopening its Summer Drive-In Theatre in Memphis this Friday, May 15.
One of only 330 drive-in theaters remaining in the U.S., the quad-screen cinema closed in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Beginning Friday, it will offer a nightly $20 carload special, with a double-feature of Trolls: World Tour and Dolittle on two screens and a double-feature of The Invisible Man and The Hunt on the other two.
“Malco is very excited to open the drive-in and welcome our customers back”, said Malco President and COO David Tashie in a statement. ”We appreciate their patience and understanding during this unprecedented time. We would also like to thank the City of Memphis for allowing the drive-in to open, and while we will be implementing a program to provide extra safety measures for our patrons and employees, we cannot wait for everyone to enjoy a night out watching movies on the big screen again.”
In order to adhere to social distancing guidelines, overall vehicle admissions will be limited to 50% capacity per screen, and customers must buy tickets (non-refundable or exchangeable) in advance using the Malco website or mobile app. To ease congestion, two entry gates will be reserved for cars with pre-purchased tickets, while a third will be used for overflow.
In addition to limiting the number of guests, a number of other safety measures will be instituted. These include the use of masks and face coverings by employees, who will monitor bathroom usage to ensure social distancing mandates are followed. Additionally, restrooms will be sanitized every 30 minutes, while concession stands will include separate areas for ordering and pickup, with markers placed on the ground to ensure six feet of distance between patrons. All food items will be served in sealed, disposable packaging, with no refills allowed.
Malco is encouraging guests to follow safety protocols to prevent the spread of the virus, including frequent washing of hands, use of hand sanitizer, maintaining a six-foot distance from other customers and wearing a mask or face covering when visiting the restroom or concession stand.
Tickets for the Summer Drive-In go on sale this Thursday, May 14.
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