A Texas Theater Has Converted Its Parking Lot Into A Temporary Drive-In And Keeps Selling Out Shows

Things are rather bleak for the movie theater industry right now, but here's some good news for a change. A Texas theater has converted itself into a temporary drive-in – and the result has been a smashing success. An EVO Entertainment theater located in Schertz, TX (trivia: the hometown of /Film managing editor Jacob Hall) set up a drive-in option in its parking lot, and has been selling out every single show since opening last Friday.

Theaters across the globe have shut down due to the coronavirus, but the Texas-based EVO Entertainment has found a successful workaround. While the theater interior is still closed, moviegoers can still purchase a ticket to head into the parking lot, and watch a film projected onto an outdoor screen. The only film the theater has been screening so far is Spider-Man: Homecoming, but the results have been a big hit. As Forbes reports, every screening has been sold out since the temporary drive-in launched on Friday. The theater is now planning additional showtimes.

The theater is also taking precautions to protect its employees. Moviegoers are able to order food through a custom mobile app built specifically for this scenario. Payments are made online, no cash is accepted, and when the orders are ready, an employee wearing nitrile gloves drops the food off at the driver-side door. Forbes also offers a breakdown of how the screenings work:

The exterior wall of the theater was painted with high-grain white paint for increased visibility and sound is transmitted directly to each vehicle through AM/FM radios. Indoor rest rooms are available with sanitary and social distancing measures in place. Films begin at dusk and end in time to meet the local area's 10 p.m. curfew restriction.

"This is a difficult time for everyone, so we've made it our goal to find a way to spread positivity within our community while sharing in the responsibility of social distancing during the crisis," said EVO Entertainment Group CEO, Mitchell Roberts, adding: "Movies have always been an escape for me, and I wanted to provide that same escape to the communities here during a time filled with uncertainty and stress."

The temporary drive-thru plans to add more films, including Top Gun and Grease. The EVO website has more info.