Are drive-in theaters a profitable business?

Question

Are drive-in theaters a profitable business?

Answer 1

Think about this: drive-ins are shutting down and being converted to strip malls or swap meets.  I can't remember the last time I saw a drive-in movie theatre that was actually showing movies!  That suggests drive-ins are a less profitable use of space than other businesses.

Answer 2

Not very.  There are still a few around, but there are a number of problems, such as the advent of television (and particularly HDTV) which can give about the same experience while you are sitting in your living room.

Answer 3

I don't know of any drive-in theaters left in the San Francisco Bay Area, an area that had at least 30 prior to 1970.  All the ones I used to go to have been bulldozed and turned into housing or shopping malls.

So I'd say they are not profitable in the higher cost of living areas.  They MIGHT work in a rural area some distance from the big city theaters, but even then you have competition from DVD rentals.

Answer 4

My Grandpa owns one of the last Drive In Theaters in America. And its pretty successful. Just remember the classic three words:

Location, Location, Location.