By Mackenzie Burn
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Baltimore city residents turn to Bengies drive-in movie theater now more than ever for the fresh air and chance to leave the house during the deadly COV-19 pandemic.
Bengies drive-in is located in Middle River, a suburb of Baltimore. It has been open since 1956 but General Manager Ken Adam said that COVID-19 set back business when the coronavirus first started its trek through Maryland and spread to all parts of the United States and the world. The theater closed for two months.
“At first drive-ins were included with indoor theatres,” Adam said explaining that the governor closed down businesses last year. “It took a while, but we were finally able to be distinguished from indoor theatres.”
Drive-in theatres are outdoor theatres where the movie is projected onto a large screen and cars drive up to watch. Drive-ins were most popular in the 1950’s and 60’s but have made a comeback this year because they use a socially distance model that is safer from COVID-19 than other theatres. During the 1950s, there were more than 4,000 drive-ins; currently, there are only 321 left in the United States.
Bengies, a landmark for Baltimore residents, was one of the few movie theatres able to maintain business throughout the summer. Operating as a drive-in, everyone already was socially distanced since patrons stay in their cars or keep 6 feet apart when venturing outside the vehicles to watch movies or buy popcorn.
Adam said other COVID protocol and procedures were easy, such as keeping the concession stand and other areas sanitary.
Shay March, a Baltimore County resident, said she attended the “Michael B. Jordan presentation” at Bengies both before and during the pandemic. The biggest differences she noted were the way concessions were run.
“Going to Bengies has always been a part of my summer and I was worried when movie theatres started closing down,” said Shanda Miller, a Baltimore city resident. “I was relieved when they stayed open for the winter months as well, it gave me and my family something to do in a safe environment.”
Adam, though happy customers appreciated the continuity in service, acknowledged, “Movies weren’t released as much last year so we have been focused on older retro movie showings.”
Both Miller and March both went to see old releases at Bengies during their separate trips to the site.
Adam also stressed it was a business decision not to shut down during the winter, as they usually do.
“We didn’t close this year; it gave people something to do and there was enough demand to justify staying open,” he said. “Typically, in summertime, we would open five days a week max. We started out the gate open seven days a week.”
When planning for Covid-safe protocols, Adam said “even though we are an outdoor theatre we require masks as soon as you leave your vehicle” and “concession lines are concentrated mainly outside.”
However, Adam said that as other movie theaters begin to open, “we are not in a rush to open to full capacity just yet. We want people to feel safe,” even though vaccines are beginning to roll out.
“We feel people are more comfortable with the guidelines in place,” Adam said.