BELLEVILLE, IL (KMOX) - One of the first entertainment venues in the region to reopen this past weekend, but couldn't fit everyone in the gates.
"Friday and Saturday night we sold out and we had a lot of people we had to turn away. We just didn't have any places for them," says Steve Bloomer, Owner Skyview Drive In in Belleville, Illinois.
Bloomer says even Sunday night's crowd was bigger than they would typically see during the summer. "I knew that we were going to be really busy. I had no doubt in my mind that there was so much pent up demand for something to do, to get out of the house and do something fun."
Skyview is operating at half capacity to keep a proper distance between cars. Bloomer says that means one car between poles instead of two, which adds up to about 15 feet between vehicles.
Concessions are available, but patrons are not allowed in the concession stand. Bloomer says his biggest challenge was being able to purchase enough meat for hamburgers due to sales limits at many stores.
The regular restrooms are closed. Instead, the Skyview is using porta-potties that employees are sanitizing every 10 -15 minutes with bleach.
Bloomer tells KMOX he's grateful for assistance from local and state officials to allow the drive-in to reopen using those precautions.