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CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The McHenry Outdoor Drive-In Theater announced Thursday that they will no longer be able to open for the season on Friday, May 1.
The drive-in theater made the announcement on Facebook, saying the health department will not allow them to open, because they are not an essential business.
"It is with a very heavy and saddened heart that I must report that we are now no longer able to open on our planned target date of Friday, May 1. This news has left me with so many emotions and literally sick over the disappointment I am sure you feel along with myself and my staff," owner Scott Dehn wrote.
Dehn goes on to explain what happened.
"When I initially heard about the rules set in place for restaurants during this COVID-19 pandemic (curbside pick-up, to-go ordering), I realized that we were not much different. We have a 'restaurant' in the form of a concession stand and the customers would all be parked in our lot no different than vehicles parked outside a restaurant waiting for their order. The only difference is that we have a movie playing on a big screen. So, I contacted the Health Dept. to see if opening were possible. They directed me to a state department website that could tell me if I could open or not. I emailed every contact on the site hoping to hear from anyone who could help. I heard back from 3 individuals who worked with me on what it would take for us to open. I implemented their plans and added some of my own. Eventually we got to a point where I was told that they had nothing left to add and wished me good luck for our season. This is when I went public about opening May 1," Dehn said.
Dehn said he developed a comprehensive plan, with safety procedures and guidelines in place in order to open. The plan included a "stay in car" rule, shrinking capacity, curbside pick-up concessions, extra sanitation procedures for restrooms, and more.
On Thursday, Dehn announced he received an email from the government saying that he could not open because the theater is not an essential business.
"There was no name attached to this email- it was just a standard email from the department. I immediately responded with the names of the individuals who gave me the green light. I outlined all of the health and safety precautions I would have in place. I also provided links to other drive-in theaters that are either open or will be opening soon. I have not gotten a response. I can assure you, that if I had even an inkling that we would not be able to open, I would not have invested the thousands of dollars into the health protocol dictated to me. I would not have wasted mine or my employees' time in getting ready. I would not have done interviews promoting our opening. I would not have booked all of the "stay-in-car" graduations we have coming up. I am literally beside myself," Dehn wrote.
"As much as I know there is plenty of blame to go around here, I also know that the buck ultimately stops with me. I am very sorry that we are in this position. But honestly, I can't think of what I could've done different. I followed every direction I was given and worked extremely hard converting this theater to one that exceeded the sanitation requirements. I know many of you are upset. I am too- trust me. I would like to thank you all for your continued unwavering support through these difficult times. We'll be back... One way or another."