Sacramento drive-in ramps up look, feel with new asphalt lots, bathrooms
Fans and loyal patrons of Sacramento’s only drive-in can rejoice -- the movie theater is undergoing renovations.
Along with bathroom improvements, the lots at the West Wind Sacramento 6 Drive-In, where people park their cars in to watch movies, are getting a facelift -- the dirt lots are getting swapped out for smooth asphalt.
“I am super excited. There’s just so many different things going on, right now. Things that will help the flow of business. Things that will help the customers out there for them to be more comfortable,” movie theater general manager Jaime Davis said.
Davis said the renovations for the drive-in are a long time coming and hopes moviegoers who have been coming for years see the changes as a reward for their committed patronage.
Director of marketing for Syufy Enterprises, Pia Nepomuceno, said the changes have cost more than $1 million and is an indicator that West Wind, the company that owns the outdoor movie theater, sees longevity with the Sacramento location.
Its future in previous years was shaky and at times uncertain, which Nepomuceno said is why previous repairs and improvements were short-term solutions.
Davis has been a fan of the drive-in movie theater in Sacramento since she was a child, when she would often go with her parents.
"Being able to be here with the renovations, being part of this and seeing the customers that come in with their children and how happy they are, that’s definitely enjoyable,” Davis said.
One iconic feature remains at the lots: the humps.
Anyone who’s driven into the lots to see a movie knows the humps. Looking at them from the side, they have the appearance of rolling hills.
Davis said it’s a feature and charm of the drive-in that had to stay.
Half of the lots have already undergone the transformation. Davis said the rainy weather has delayed construction, but she anticipates the lots to be finished by June, in time for summer -- the drive-in’s busiest time of year.
Davis said other renovations include swamp coolers for both inside the concession area and the bathrooms. Those are expected to start next week.