GOOCHLAND COUNTY, Va. — John Heidel recalled the “aha” moment when he and his wife, Kristina, decided to leap into the drive-in movie theater industry.
It all started about two decades ago when the couple took their young children to an indoor movie theater.
“The booming sound system was scaring my son, so one of us would inevitably go out to the car and wait until the other parent and the older child came out,” Heidel explained. “We tried this a couple of times with the best intentions and finally said, let’s just go to a drive-in. But there really weren’t any around.”
Initially, he said no land broker, realtor, vendor, or bank would take them or their pitch seriously, as some thought drive-ins were a relic of the past. But the family pushed on.
Fast forward nearly 20 years, and the Goochland Drive-In Theater, located off Interstate 64 between Richmond and Charlottesville, is considered one of America’s top drive-in theaters.
Heidel credits that achievement to loyal fans and providing good customer service.
Admission for a single showing is $28 for a car of seven individuals.
Their menu includes prices of days gone by, including $4.85 for a hamburger, $3 for a large fountain drink, and $4.95 for a large popcorn.
They offer a family atmosphere with just a few “no-tolerance” rules: no alcohol, marijuana, drugs, or rudeness.
Heidel says while business is going great, his family is ready for a new passion.
“We are healthy, we are happy, but we’re approaching that stage in life where it’s time to think about the next chapter,” he explained. “It’ll be 16 years in August, and it’s gone really fast. We’ve watched families become friends. We’ve watched kids come with their parents that are now parents themselves, bringing their kids, which is really — that’s a trip right there.”
The announcement to sell the drive-in came as a shock to many who commented on his Facebook post, which received hundreds of shares and reactions.
“Your drive-in theater was the first time ever that we took our autistic son to see a movie on a big screen years ago. He laid in the back of our truck looking at the sky and sang ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ during the entire movie,” one customer wrote.
Another loyal fan commented, “John…you built an incredible place that has brought joy and memories to so many people.”
Some memorable moments for the drive-in include expanding to two screens and hosting countless family nights, first dates, and wedding proposals.
Heidel described a magical group experience while watching an Iron Man movie under a clear night sky.
“Seeing the shooting star go across the top of the screen during Iron Man. That was pretty cool,” he explained. “It was amazing, and everybody was talking, ‘Was that Iron Man going through the sky?’”
He wouldn’t elaborate on what his next chapter could look like after selling his drive-in but reassured fans that it’ll be “business as usual” until then.
Heidel admitted that his family is leaving something great behind.
“We’ve worked hard to build a reputation, but you do that one customer at a time, one show at a time,” he stated. “A lot of mixed emotions, but whoever takes it over, we hope they’ll love it as much as we do.”
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