With the addition of a drive-in theater in Fort Worth, students would have a new place to watch their favorite films.
Coyote Theaters has planned to build a new drive-in theater north of LaGrave Field and east of North Main Street, CEO of Coyote Theaters Brady Wood said.
The drive-in would be different from traditional drive-ins, he said.
“We are far more than a screen, a car and a snack bar,” Wood said.
The drive-in would have professional landscaping and would be environmentally friendly, creating no carbon footprint, Wood said. The drive-in would also give discounts to customers who rode their bikes to the drive-in.
“It is my goal to accommodate anyone who wants to see the movie, no matter how they arrive,” he said.
A lack of open land in cities made it difficult to accommodate drive-ins, and it was a rare thing to see drive-ins in urban areas, Wood said.
He said the theater expected to show first-run movies and special features, as well.
Sound would come in through FM stereo or a smart phone, Wood said. Coyote Theaters experimented with different ways to get sound on a smartphone, but it had not decided which route to take.
The drive-in planned to selling beer and wine, Wood said, and might also include gourmet food trucks.
Sophomore physical education major Nathan Wang said he thought a new drive-in would be awesome and would create a great atmosphere.
Junior mathematics major Doug McDougal said he would love to go to a new drive-in, especially if the prices were cheaper than traditional movie theaters.
Wood said the main prices per car had not been finalized, but Coyote Theaters had considered several different pricing plans, such as discounts for university students or summer passes.
There would be special events where university students could rent out private screening areas, called cabanas, Wood said. The cabanas would have tables, chairs, hammocks and fans.
Coyote Theaters planned to broadcast films in English and Spanish, but Wood said showing Spanish films would depend on whether or not the movie studios produced Spanish sound to go with the film.
The target opening date for the drive-in was Memorial Day, May 28, 2012, but Wood said it was too soon to tell what would happen because design plans were not finished.
Where: North of LaGrave Field and east of North Main Street
Types of movies: first run and special features in English and Spanish, as available
Possible amenities: digital projectors, sound through FM stereo or smart phones, beer and wine for purchase, food trucks, private screening areas
Capacity: about 400 vehicles
Expected attendance: about 300,000 moviegoers per year
Cost: $4 to $8 per car*, with possible student discounts and/or season passes
Expected opening: Memorial Day – May 28, 2012
*Prices have not been finalized, according to CEO of Coyote Theaters Brady Wood