The Blue Starlite Urban Drive-In shutting down its Mueller location

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Blue Starlite Urban Drive-In announced Wednesday it is closing down its Mueller location on July 5. The iconic local business will, however, open another spot to replace Mueller in several months. 

The Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In has operated in Austin since 2009. The owner, Josh Frank, said it’s common for them to find an open site, set up some movie screens for a few years and then move on to another location. Since opening, they’ve operated from five different spaces, Frank said. 

They were at the Mueller location for a little more than four and a half years; Frank said he is going to miss operating from there. 

“We became a part of the community, and we just love that community and the people,” Frank told KXAN. “It's this really great little part of town that we've been in where it still feels like old Austin,” he continued. 

Though July 5 is the last day the location will operate to the public, they will still accept private bookings throughout the summer. Blue Starlite loyalists can continue to support the local business at its downtown location up to six nights a week.

Frank wouldn’t reveal where his next location is yet – he will officially announce it next month – but said it is “incredible.”

“[It’s] three times the size of our current Mueller space. We'll be able to have more screens, more space for cars. We'll be able to accommodate more people; the amenities there are fantastic. There are things that I've dreamed of having for many years that we're going to be able to offer. And it's a great central location,” Frank said.

“I’m very excited about that,” he continued. 

Earlier this year, people stole more than $20,000 in equipment from the downtown location. Frank said they weren’t able to find out who was responsible but said he was thankful to have had the support of the Austin community. 

“After that downtown robbery, I had my moment of like, ‘Okay, I'm done,’” he said. “We're still recovering from that. But we've learned a lot about what our strengths and what our weaknesses are.” 

“We're still here. We're still kicking in. We're still keeping Austin as weird as we can,” Frank said.