MONTROSE, Colo.—When the projector flicks on at the Star Drive-In, patrons fall silent, hunker down with the popcorn and prepare to be entertained. They see a movie or two. Proprietor Pam Friend sees decades of memories.
Her parents, George and Elizabeth Devries, opened the drive-in 60 years ago and it’s withstood everything from the advent of VCRs and DVDs to the economic downturn, although such developments have affected business.
The Star is now the oldest drive-in to be owned and operated by the same family in the U.S. And if you ask Friend, she will tell you the business is all about family.
“It has been a kick,” she said of watching generation after generation of families attend the drive-in.
“What keeps me going is when somebody steps up and says, ‘Don’t close this place. We love it here.’ Those are the ones I feel so dedicated to, because they are so dedicated to me.”
Friend runs the drive-in with her siblings, their children and her own. This summer was her 11-year-old grandson’s first run as a parking lot attendant, and Friend said he learned the same values and skills she teaches all her employees: Work hard. Be polite. And count back change.
“We’ve always had some family work for us and with us, as well as those who aren’t family, but become family by summer’s end,” Friend said.
Watching children watch movies under the stars and marvel at the giant projection screen has provided Friend with some of her favorite memories.
“Drive-ins are a very fun place, including for those who work here. It’s more for the families than for anyone,” she said.
“There are little kids who run up and say, ‘Look at the big TV screen.’ Or the out-of-country person who says, ‘We’ve never been to a drive-in, we don’t know what to do.'”
Friend can help with that. Because she runs the projection booth, and keeps the door open because of the heat—she refers to the room as her “little spa”—Friend gives tours, taking special delight in explaining everything to kids.
“They think it should be like a DVD. They see that 200 to 300 pounds of film and go, ‘Whoa.’ One little boy said, ‘Look at that big dinosaur, Mommy.'”
He was referring to the projector, its lamp stand and platter.
The projection booth tends to wow adults, too, especially foreign visitors.
“They all are amazed, stepping up to that projection room. It just entices them. They have to know what it is and how it’s working,” Friend said.
“The only downfall is, I would not know what a summer vacation is. I’ve been dedicated out there. I’ve run the projector since 1984.”
The Star’s concession stand also entices, especially Friend’s world-famous, hand-cut fries—she’s cut 3,000 pounds of potatoes since April 1.
Love has kept the Star going every summer, through early October, for six decades. In addition to drive-in duty, the family has operated the DeVries Produce Ranch near Olathe for 66 years.
“It’s been a real fun ride. I love the public, and I love the (drive-in) business. I think you have to, because it’s not a big profit-maker,” Friend said.
And how does it feel to have the Star hit 60? “It’s great,” she said, adding how proud the family is to own the oldest drive-in still operated by its original family.
“I love to say that. We’ve all been dedicated to it. It’s a great feeling to know our family has done something for that long, and to acquire that kind of notoriety.”
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