I just saw an ad on Facebook that the Tibbs Drive In was
opening this weekend. They list what they have at their concession stand on
their website and it made me a bit nostalgic. I’ve written before about the
entire drive-in experience, that it is like a community unto itself. It remains
that way where drive-ins still exist. But while reading that concession stand
list it made me think back to the treats they had there as well as some amazing
looking concession stands.
When I was small (and yes there was a time) I can remember
being fascinated by the concession stand. To begin with before you even got
there you could smell the aroma of popcorn wafting across that sea of cars. It
only got stronger the closer you got and anyone who was strong enough to resist
the temptation of that popped delight more power to you. You even had choices
to make when it came to popcorn too. There was the box, the one that most
children ended up with. For adults you had to choose which size cup you wanted.
If you were on a date odds are you opted for the larger one and shared it. All
of this ran through your mind on the way to the stand.
Way back when drive-ins took huge pride in their concession
stands, at least those I went to. They weren’t small buildings but fairly
large, some with lines to go through on either end. The fronts had a stainless
steel front to them and a chrome looking rail on which to place your tray. Yes
there were trays to load goodies on as well as boxes to stuff along the way.
The warm food was always first with a warner
with sliding glass doors that held in the heat and the products wrapped in foil
wrappers. There were hot dogs, corn dogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, pizza
burgers and more all warm and inviting. One sandwich that seemed to pop up at
every concession stand was Castleberry’s Pit Cooked BBQ. I can still remember watching
this ad.
And the popcorn you’d been smelling was always there right
before those warmers, lights glowing to keep the freshly popped corn warm.
Either at the end of that or behind the counter you could hear that popcorn
popping fresh and the smell kept you going.
Next was always the soft drinks. Different drive-ins handled
these differently. The one I recall had a tray with holes in it filled with
pre-filled cups ready to be picked up and labeled as to what they were. As
people took these the worker behind the counter would fill more. As a child I
was amazed to watch as he poured different drinks from the same hose with a
sprayer on it like in our kitchen. Of course grown up I see these in bars now,
each on having a different button to make a different flavor come out. But back
then I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Next up was the random items that didn’t quite fit into any
specific category. There were pickles wrapped in plastic. There were drizzle
guards to put over your windshield if it rained. And the ever popular Pic
mosquito coils could be bought to fend off those pesky rascals.
Not quite done we next came to yet another
container that looked like the warmers but this time containing all kinds of
frozen treats. There were Eskimo bars and popsicles and frozen candy bars. I
remember small paper containers of ice cream that came with those terrible
wooden spoons that gave you the chills when placed on your tongue.
Last but not least was the rack of candy. Here again there
was a vast multitude of choices to make. Would you go with a bar type candy or
a box of something? Boston baked beans, Lemonheads, Sweet Tarts, Snickers,
Three Musketeers, red licorice or some other sweet concoction sure to disappear
quickly once back at the car.
And at the end was always an uninterested employee ringing
up your purchase ready to get you gone and move on to the next person. After
paying you’d walk to the condiments bar. Unlike today with packets to pick up
and pocket these places had squeeze bottles of ketchup and mustard, maybe a
container of relish, and salt and pepper shakers. And people didn’t steal these
items back then, instead leaving them for the next person. Then it was back to
the car to eat while watching the clowns jump and the clock countdown the
minutes until the next movie began.
And yes we also took food with us to the drive-in but we
always bought something there as well. We knew that this was good for the
business of the place and besides, popcorn brought from home could never ever
match that freshly popped at the drive-in. I can also remember how great the
pizza burgers were at my local drive-in. They’re not that easy to find these
days (thank you Bummies for having them!).
These are all fond memories for me. They’re ones that a
large number of children will never experience. Most drive-ins are now closed,
the land sold to developers to create yet another strip mall. But a few
locations remain open. Near me I have the option of driving 30-40 minutes to
two different ones, the Van-Del or the Huntington Drive-In. I know some have done
a great deal for movie fans by having one night where they book nothing but
classic movies. Sure you could watch them at home streaming or on disc but that
doesn’t include the drive-in experience. Some have done a great deal by having
dusk till dawn special nights with a lineup of horror films. They all provide a
less expensive night out for families than a regular theater does.
I hope drive-ins never disappear. I hope they continue to exist
somewhere. And most importantly I hope that somewhere, some young child is
waiting to get into the drive-in, cars lined up at the ticket booth, inhaling
and smelling the aroma of that freshly popped corn just waiting at the
concession stand. Me? I think I’ll look into creating some form of pizza burger
at home and popping in a classic drive-in movie for now.
