VALLEY, Neb. (AP) - The groundwork is about done at the Quasar Drive-In Theater. Now comes the fun stuff.
The concession building will soon take shape, the prefabricated ticket office will be arriving, and the first giant movie screen will be erected on the 40-acre lot near Valley.
The aroma of popcorn won’t waft across the former farm field until sometime in August. Although delayed by rain and the busy schedules of the tradespeople involved, the theater project is in the stretch run, owner Jeff Karls said. It’s even gotten its own address: 13427 N. 300th St.
“We’ve had setbacks as far as the timeline goes,’’ Karls told the Omaha World-Herald. “Everything is coming together very nicely now.’’
Karls and his wife, Jenny, had hoped to open in mid-July. But nearly 10 inches of rain since January kept bringing work to a standstill.
Grading has now been completed, which will ease mud issues; about a quarter of the car field is finished with asphalt, a well has been dug and the underground electrical and fiber-optic work is done.
A trench for the sewer line is the last of the underground work, and that will allow the car field to be finished. Roads are roughed in and pads await two buildings. Fencing will follow.
“The above-ground work takes a relatively short time,’’ Karls said.
The extra time until the opener has allowed the Karls to gather all the equipment they need for the business and to create a menu. Items like hot dogs, brats, chicken tenders, hamburgers and fries will be served, as well as the usual movie fare.
The couple had planned to run classic movies on what they were calling Throwback Thursdays, with first-run movie doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday nights. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, however, few new movies are being released.
So instead, the Karls will do a soft opening for friends and family with a classic - “American Graffiti” - and pair it with “Grease” for the first twin bill for the public. First-run titles will be screened as they are released.
Karls is very familiar with “American Graffiti” because it’s the first movie his family purchased years ago. That will allow him to get the sound and color adjusted perfectly for the audience.
It’s been a five-year dream in the making, and Karls said he gets excited every time he drives on the site.
“It’s starting to blossom into a drive-in,’’ he said. “I am amazed from where we started.”
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