The East Taunton Star Drive-In will close in March 2026, coinciding with the end of owner Erika Madden's lease. The property was purchased around the time a five-year lease was signed by an entity that had previously built a self-storage facility across the street. Madden reports limited assistance from city government and other departments despite repeated pleas; city efforts included grant funding and more than $60,000 in improvements but faced legal and fiscal limits for private businesses. The drive-in experienced its best summer season, hosts movie nights and community events, and has been owned by Madden since 2016.
Around the same time that Madden signed the five-year lease, the entity that had previously purchased the property across the street and built a self-storage facility also purchased the Star Drive-In property, according to the post. Though she did not want to "get into the specifics of those issues," Madden wrote that many people within the city government and several other departments "have not offered any help or assistance even after my repeated pleas for help."
Despite the sad news, Madden added that The Star Drive-In had its "Best Summer Season" on record this year. In addition to movie nights, the drive-in restaurant is known for hosting numerous community events, including Jeep shows, bike nights, and live music. Madden has owned The Star Drive-In since 2016. She initially planned to make the announcement months later but wrote that she had been receiving messages from "loyal customers" and that the closure was mentioned at a zoning board meeting, according to the post.
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