By Holly Toal<br><a href="mailto:holly.toal@journal-register.com">E-mail Holly</a>
MIDDLEPORT — By Holly Toal
holly.toal@journal-register.com
MIDDLEPORT — Nothing screams “summer” like the drive-in. With the mild nighttime breeze and smell of hot dogs and popcorn in the air, people often spend their spring and summer nights piling into the car and heading to the drive-in to see a new flick.
At the Sunset Drive-In in Middleport, many movie-goers have been frequenting the drive-in for years.
“If the weather’s good, we’re good,” said Mario Stornelli, who with his wife of 33 years, Denise, owns the business.
In August of this year, the Sunset Drive-In will celebrate its 60th anniversary in business.
A lot of Stornelli’s customers have been coming to the drive-in for years — since they were kids — and now bring their own kids.
The Sunset Drive-In was opened by Stornelli’s father, Alex, in 1950. At that time, it only had one screen and the main restaurant.
The couple also owned the movie theaters in Medina and Albion for a short time.
During his parents’ tenure at the drive-in, Stornelli spent many days as a kid helping out at the restaurant —a tradition his own family would carry on.
In 1994, Stornelli and his wife took over the business. They added two more screens and expanded the restaurant, moved the film projectors upstairs, and enhanced the landscaping.
Throughout the years, one of the biggest changes the drive-in has seen is the switch from speakers to radio sound. Also, Stornelli explained that they still use 33 millimeter film, but it is now loaded onto platters, as opposed to the old-fashioned reel-to-reel. Those platters are run by longtime projectionist Arnold Herdendorf.
Since the restaurant expanded and the projectors were moved upstairs, Stornelli explained that movie-goers have fewer “interruptions,” as kids used to wave their hands in front of the projector.
Three years ago, Stornelli’s son, Kris — who used to hang out at the drive-in as a child — opened an ice cream shop in front of the restaurant, which seems to complete the drive-in experience.
The restaurant at the Sunset Drive-In is now open for dinners, and the Stornellis are hoping to begin showing movies March 26.
The drive-in is located at 9950 Telegraph Road (Route 31) in Middleport. Call 716-735-7372 for movie listings.
Contact editor Holly Toal at 798-1400, ext. 8225.
