Page 9 - CR

Talking of food, the cafeteria was
something else again! It featured
a large range of food - six foolscap
sheets of menu to be exact, and even
another chef to cook your meal to
your liking.

The meals became so well known that
local business men would often bring
their clients to the Boondall Drive-
In for dinner and a different type of
night out.

They claimed that the 50c admission Snack food was also very popular.
was cheaper than a cover charge at a Probably the most popular was
restaurant and they were very happy with “Boondall’s Golden Brown Chip
the quality of the meal and service. Potatoes”. It was not unusual for us
to go through 16 sacks of potatoes a
night, along with dozens of chickens
not to mention t-bone steaks and
sausages etc..

The potatoes in those days didn’t
come in plastic bags already chipped
and frozen, they came in big hessian
bags which we had to wash, peel
and chip ourselves. Luckily we had
machines to help us do that.

The cafeteria area had tables and
chairs for the comfort of patrons
but there was also a covered in area
in front of the cafeteria where you
could sit and have your meal and
watch the movies at the same time.
People who lived locally or didn’t
have a car would walk in, pay the
admission and watch the movies
from this area.

Once the movies had started, ‘Car Hops’
would walk the ramps pushing specially
built food trolleys with hot and cold
snacks and drinks on them. If someone
required a hot meal they would deliver
it direct to the car. Each car speaker
had a switch on it that lit up a light on
the junction box next to each car if you
wanted service.

The Boondall Projection Room
was built up high over the cafeteria
building and the ramp attendants
would often come up to the landings
on either side of the projection
room to check for service lights on
the ramps.

CINEMAREC ORD 2011 9