In 2022, the Pennsylvania couple took out a $1 million loan, tapped family support, and signed for Shankweiler’s Drive-In.
Opened in 1934, it is officially the world’s oldest continually operating drive-in. For Matt, it was a childhood landmark. For Lauren, it was a leap into the unknown.
The first year was rough. They managed to reopen the gates, but the cash barely stretched far enough to cover groceries. In their own words, it was survival mode.
Then came 2024. With a packed program of double features, seasonal favourites, and themed events, revenue climbed to almost $550,000. What started as a nostalgia play turned into a sustainable business.
The venue’s pull is more than just movies. It is about heritage and atmosphere. At a time when America had thousands of drive-ins, fewer than 300 remain. Yet Shankweiler’s still pulls cars into its field with a mix of old-school romance and modern marketing.
They keep it fresh. Valentine’s Day screenings of The Notebook. Halloween “Trunk-or-Treat” nights. Summer blockbusters projected onto the original screen while classics like the Ferrari-red Corvette C7 Z06 roll into the lot. It is a calendar that blends Americana with car culture.
That car connection matters. A drive-in is as much about the machine you arrive in as the film you watch. Picture a BRZ parked next to a Murciélago, a family SUV alongside a vintage pickup. It is the sort of democratic space cars create—status symbols lined up for popcorn under the same night sky.
The couple’s gamble has given them more than income. It has positioned Shankweiler’s as a cultural asset. Guinness World Records lists it as the oldest operating drive-in on the planet, and the local community treats it like a cathedral of nostalgia.
In a landscape of streaming fatigue and shrinking cinemas, this is a reminder that the right mix of history, cars, and pop culture can still pull a crowd.
Matt and Lauren didn’t just save a drive-in. They turned a $1 million risk into a half-million-dollar business with a future. And for anyone who still believes in the romance of cars and movies, that is money well spent.
You go , Glenn Coco!
