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am<br />
><br />
BOX<br />
Small Drive-in Combines<br />
Highway Restaurant<br />
With Concession<br />
by<br />
PHILIP L LOWE*<br />
E<br />
i<br />
R M A S C R E E N<br />
PAT APPLIED FOR<br />
^\ N UNUSUAL CONCEPT of the place<br />
of the drive-in theatre as a business entity<br />
has been developed at the Nashoba Valley<br />
Drive-In Theatre and Restaurant, located<br />
in West Acton, Mass. The drive-in itself<br />
can be best described as an "area" drive-in,<br />
in that it does not draw from any one particular<br />
community, but draws from some<br />
half-dozen small communities located<br />
about 20 miles west of Boston. The drive-in<br />
accommodates approximately 400 cars, and<br />
the projection booth is located in the rear<br />
of the theatre, throwing over the top of all<br />
the cars to a screen some 600 feet away.<br />
By using this type of projection, it was<br />
possible to combine the refreshment area<br />
for the theatre with a drive-in restaurant.<br />
They installed a regular two-lane cafeteria<br />
coupled with another counter directly<br />
opposite, which serves into the restaurant<br />
area which faces on the highway.<br />
LITTLE EXTRA EQUIPMENT NEEDED<br />
This type of installation required very<br />
little additional equipment above that<br />
needed for the drive-in theatre itself, and<br />
enabled the management to put the refreshment<br />
facilities on a 12-hour basis.<br />
Although it is not considered by this<br />
writer that the Nashoba Valley type of<br />
operation is practical for all small drive-in<br />
theatres, it certainly has its application for<br />
a great many of them. Since the theatre is<br />
essentially a small one, the refreshment<br />
area is not located too far from any of the<br />
cars in the theatre to rule out the location<br />
of<br />
the refreshment area as unsatisfactory.<br />
A HIGHWAY NETWORK LOCATION<br />
Since most theatremen are agreed<br />
that the location of a drive-in theatre as<br />
to highway network is most important, in<br />
a great many cases<br />
a highway restaurant<br />
could be considered to be properly located<br />
at the drive-in site. The Nashoba Valley<br />
Drive-In facilities are a standard two-lane<br />
type of cafeteria which has ice cream<br />
chests, warmers, frankfort and roll steamers,<br />
set into each line with a common drink<br />
setup serving both lines. An assortment of<br />
carbonated and non-carbonated drinks is<br />
available. On the counter opposite are located<br />
a soda fountain and ice cream units<br />
for service to the roadside trade. In the<br />
center section which is the food preparation<br />
area, equidistant from both counters, are<br />
Lasts<br />
A<br />
L!fel!nne<br />
No<br />
Mamlenance<br />
No More<br />
Painting<br />
U0%<br />
located fryers, the sink, a barbecue setup,<br />
frappe machines, coffee urn, grilles, a refrigerated<br />
sandwich unit and a popcorn<br />
machine.<br />
The Nashoba Valley Drive-In Theatre<br />
and Restaurant is operated by Boxboro Enterprises,<br />
under the management of Donald<br />
Sweenie.<br />
More Reflected<br />
Light<br />
Uniform<br />
Reflection<br />
At All Time<br />
For New and Existing Drive-ins<br />
Spring will soon be here and your screen must be painted<br />
again. Get rid of this "headache" by installing PERMA-<br />
SCREEN. PERMASCREEN can be installed without loss<br />
or operation on Drive-ins which operate throughout the<br />
year. Considering all oF it's Features on new Drive-ins . . .<br />
PERMASCREEN will pay For itselF in a short time.<br />
PERMASCREEN can be purchased on a time payment plan.<br />
IT WILL BE TO YOUR ADVANTAGE TO WRITE NOW<br />
FOR ALL FACTS REGARDING PERMASCREEN.<br />
Pete Stathis of the Sparta Drive-in has this to say about<br />
his<br />
PERMASCREEN:<br />
"Dear Ben; I certainly glad that you sold me PERMA-<br />
SCREEN For my new Drive-in theatre. It is all that you<br />
claimed, plus the Fact that we opened much earlier than<br />
expected as we didn't have to wait to apply three coats<br />
oF paint. The picture is perFect, in fact as good as our<br />
indoor<br />
theatre."<br />
Recent PERMASCREEN Sales:<br />
Bluemound Drive In Sparta Dfive-in<br />
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Sporta, Wisconsin<br />
King Spring Drive-in<br />
Johnson City, Tenn.<br />
Tn City Drive-in<br />
Kingsport Hi-woy<br />
Johnson City, Tenn<br />
Brewer Drive*in<br />
Pauls Valley, Okla.<br />
Mid-Way Drive-in<br />
3901 Midway Drive<br />
San Diego, Calif.<br />
Pekin Dnve-in<br />
Pekin, Illinois<br />
Hy. 53 Dnve-in<br />
Gary, Indiana<br />
OTHER POBLOCKI PRODUCTS<br />
DISTRIBUTED<br />
NATIONAL<br />
THEATRE SUPPLY<br />
HHI,M|iNl,'m,Iffl<br />
FOR THE<br />
DRIVE-IN THEATRE<br />
•HANDY ANDY<br />
Dvbrii Collccto, and Ucincdtor<br />
•SNACK . KAH<br />
Mobil* Food Vendor<br />
•TRAFFIC CONTROL<br />
MobiU Tra(l:< Di'iclor<br />
ATTR A CTION SIGNS<br />
•NAME SIGNS<br />
BOX OFFICES<br />
FOR THE<br />
INDOOR THEATRE<br />
MARQUEES<br />
Convcntiondl and Innar S*r«ic«<br />
•NAME SIGNS<br />
OFFICES<br />
•<br />
FRONTS<br />
Vltracon o, Stamloi Stool<br />
•POSTER<br />
CASES<br />
Aluminum or Stamloit Stool<br />
/^dvuref^ A?tD sa^s^M,<br />
2IS» S. KINNICKINNIC AVt. MILWAUKCC 1. WISCONSIN<br />
MINIATURE TRAINS<br />
by DIT-MCO<br />
TWO TYPES -"STREAMLINER"- 'CASEY JONES"<br />
Sold complete with locomotive, possenger car steel track, wood cross ties, and spikes.<br />
Ready for Installation. NOTHING ELSE TO BUY.<br />
SAFEST PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT<br />
Production Limited to Availability of Steel<br />
Wire Phone or Write<br />
DRIVE-IN THEATRE MFG. CO.<br />
Your Order Today 505 W. 9th St. Kansas City, Mo.<br />
"Mr. Lowe IS with Theatre Candy Co., Inc.<br />
BOXOFFICE January 3, 1953<br />
45
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