{"id":124961,"date":"2026-02-27T09:48:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T09:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/124961\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T09:48:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T09:48:14","slug":"pennsylvania-couple-who-bought-drive-in-movie-theater-with-1m-loan-which-earns-550k-a-year-say-these-three-months-make-or-break-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/124961\/","title":{"rendered":"Pennsylvania couple who bought drive-in movie theater with $1M loan which earns $550K-a-year say these three months make or break it"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pennsylvania couple who bought a drive-in movie theater with a $1 million loan say just three months can make or break the gamble they made.<\/p>\n

Matt McClanahan and Lauren McChesney wanted to save Shankweiler\u2019s Drive-In Theater in Orefield, Pennsylvania, as it was at risk of being bought by developers.<\/p>\n

Having opened in 1934, it was a very historic location<\/a>, and McLanahan used to go to it as a kid.<\/p>\n

But they took the plunge and bought it with a $1 million loan, and it\u2019s the summer months that determine whether or not the chance was worth taking.<\/p>\n

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Why the couple bought the drive-in movie theater<\/p>\n

Drive-in movie theaters are not quite as popular as they once were.<\/p>\n

But some people do still flock to them, and Shankweiler\u2019s is one of the most historic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Opened way back in 1934, by 2022, it was at risk of being lost forever due to developers being interested in buying it.<\/p>\n

As a historic landmark and one that had deep personal connections to them, the couple couldn\u2019t let it close.<\/p>\n

But a $1 million loan was needed to buy the theater<\/a>, and the couple also cashed in their retirement funds, personal savings, and more.<\/p>\n

Now, they make $550,000 a year thanks to their investment.<\/p>\n

\"Pennsylvania<\/a>Shankweiler\u2019s Drive-In Theatre<\/a><\/p>\n

It was a tough start in 2023, but things soon began to pick up as they invested in their venture.<\/p>\n

As a backyard theater, they needed to increase revenue, so they held various events, such as a Halloween trunk-or-treat evening, as well as Valentine\u2019s Day events.<\/p>\n

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Some months make or break the theater\u2019s survival<\/p>\n

There are just a handful of months in the year that make or break the survival of this historic location.<\/p>\n

These are in the summer, and that revenue is incredibly important.<\/p>\n

In fact, it \u2018carries the theater for the entire rest of the year,\u2019 McClanahan told CNBC<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With long daylight hours and nice evenings, summer is the best time to enjoy the outdoor location.<\/p>\n

If the summer was poor for whatever reason, things could be very different.<\/p>\n

They have, however, had the odd boost after the summer, with Wicked<\/a> in November 2024 netting $36,264 for a month.<\/p>\n

Which is good, as unlike lots of drive-in theaters, Shankweiler\u2019s<\/a> is open all year round.<\/p>\n

Their hard work has paid off, with it turning a profit in 2024 after they invested in it.<\/p>\n

Fingers crossed, the future is looking brighter for this amazing facility.<\/p>\n

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