They came early Thursday night, grabbing popcorn and hoping to claim some of the best parking spots at Coyote Drive-In.
But for many, the trip was about more than seeing a movie. They came to make memories at a Fort Worth landmark before it closes for good.
Before the sun went down, moviegoers were already checking in at the gate.
“I’m excited,” one customer said.
Car after car arrived at the drive-in theater, where employees have welcomed customers since 2013.
“Our normal guests are probably here two hours early before the movie starts,” Coyote Drive-in General Manager Chris Fortune said.
Assistant Manager Brian Smith oversees the staff as they prepare for another movie night, right down to making the popcorn.
“My heart’s broken. I’m gonna miss this place,” Smith said.
Coyote Drive-in became more than just a place to go to work for Smith. For starters, it’s where he met the one person who changed his life forever.
“I met the love of my life here,” Smith said, “I met my fiancée here. The person I’m going to spend the rest of my life with every day and who I love very much.”
Smith said he also loves the fact that Coyote Drive-in served as a place for him to mentor young people and teach them life skills. Many of the staff are teenagers who work part-time at the drive-in.
“It’s the perfect place to, for kids to come get their first job. So, I’m having the opportunity to help teach the untransferable skills that are needed to go out into the workplace today,” said Smith.
As night falls, the familiar drive in experience comes to life. Cars parked beneath the open sky; moviegoers tuned into the FM radio and giant screens illuminated against the backdrop of Downtown Fort Worth.
But soon, that scene will be gone.
“We always knew we were kind of a temporary place mark here. We knew that we had an end date,” Fortune said.
The drive-in has also been part of Fortune’s own family memories. He shared photos of his children from their early years spent at Coyote Drive-In.
“My kids have grown up here, so I have pictures of them at Coyote Drive-in when they were little kids, at 5 and 6, all the way up until about their teenagers, so I feel like there’s a lot of families whose kids grow up at the drive-in,” Fortune said. “So, it’s been my goal to make it the safest place as possible for kids to enjoy.”
The property is part of the Panther Island development project, which will bring a new park, boardwalk and luxury housing to the area.
When customers Chris and Jen learned about the plans that would lead to the drive-in closing, they say the news hit them hard, especially since they drove all the way from McKinney on Thursday.
“I said, ‘oh, no.’ And he looked at me and he was like, ‘what, what’s going on?'” Jen said.
“Yeah, like a family member died or something,” Chris said.
Supporters are now hoping to keep Coyote Drive-In in Fort Worth. An online petition is gathering signatures from people who want to save the landmark.
Kennedy and her boyfriend Chris are supporters of the petition and say they prefer drive-in movies over theaters, saying they have more freedom.
“This is historic. You are not going to find this anywhere else,” Kennedy said. “It’s a vibe.”
“Definitely not in Fort Worth. Texas doesn’t have too many drive-ins left,” Chris said.
“I’m going to send it to my friends. Everyone needs to sign it right now,” Luis said.
“Yeah, because it’s very, very sad,” Kaylee said.
After 14 years, the memories are now what employees and customers say they will hold onto.
“I can say that we had a great run, and we will enjoy all the memories that we’ll have,” Fortune said.