HONOR — The Cherry Bowl Drive In Theatre, located near Honor, has recently been bought — allowing for a prized local landmark to stay open.
The only remaining drive-in theater in northern Michigan, the Cherry Bowl was bought at the end of September of 2024 by Mindi Jarman, a preschool and kindergarten teacher.
“There is nothing like being under the stars, and being in the environment in the Cherry Bowl,” said Jarman, who is from Lansing but was a frequent visitor to Frankfort. She assumed ownership of the local attraction from Laura Clark, who purchased the theater in the 1990s with her husband, Harry.
Already searching for property to purchase in Benzie County, Jarman and her husband noticed that the beloved Cherry Bowl Drive In Theatre was for sale.
“I kept coming back to it,” Jarman said. “And coming up with ideas for it; I had files on my computer dedicated to it, and Pinterest boards … I started going on a deep dive into the world of drive-in theater ownership, and found out different conventions and different groups.”
Jarman, who is a history major, said she “loves things from years past.”
“It was intriguing,” she said. “If you wrap that up into the fact that I love human connection, I love people, I love talking to people — it was just the perfect fit for us.”
The Cherry Bowl Drive In Theatre, first opened in 1953, has run continuously since then.
Owned originally by spouses Jean and L.O. Griffin, Jean managed the business independently after her husband’s death in 1959, until it was purchased by Laura and Harry Clark in the 1990s. The Cherry Bowl still possesses many of its retro fixtures, including a ‘50s-style putt-putt golf course and a 1953 popcorn popper.
In many ways, the drive-in movie theater is itself a retro fixture — a venue that ballooned in popularity during the 1950s, coinciding with the growth of US car ownership post-World War II.
During that decade, 5,000 drive-in theaters could be found throughout The United States, a number which has since dwindled dramatically. Now, the Cherry Bowl remains one of an estimated 300 surviving drive-in theaters within the nation.
Addressing the present-day appeal of the drive-in theater, Jarman attributed to nostalgia.
“We’re always harkening back toward what was before, what came before us,” Jarman said. “… It’s such an incredibly unique experience, to be able to be surrounded by people but also in your own space, in your car, under the stars …
It’s not a super common experience but it really is, again, something people talk about, and remember for years to come.”
Patrons love the Cherry Bowl, citing “fond memories” and the loaded-with-options diner/snack bar.
Said one, “It was the best snack bar I’ve ever seen at a movie theater.”
Although closed during the winter months, the Cherry Bowl will be open by May 16, 2025. Jarman plans to extend the season until October of next year if possible. She confirmed that the movie selection, which will be posted at a later date on their website, “will definitely maintain the family-friendly atmosphere of the theater.”
“We acknowledge that so many of our patrons are people who have families and who have young children, and we want to maintain that atmosphere for the people who love this theater and want it to be here.”