Browns back out of Milton-Freewater drive-in sale
Published 4:30 pm Friday, July 17, 2026
MILTON-FREEWATER — In a turnaround from an announced change of ownership for the M-F Drive-in, the picture publicly changed on Friday, July 17.
Mike and Lorie Spiess in June let drive-in fans know another longtime Milton-Freewater family was taking on the venture.
The Spiesses took over managing the drive-in in 2009 after managing it for many years, taking on full ownership in 2015.
Mike’s parents, Dick and Loretta Spiess, bought the enterprise in 1961, opening the summer of 1962.
In early 2026 an agreement was formed to sell the business to Andrew and Stephanie Brown.
June 29 was going to be the last day of the Spiesses’ ownership, and the weekend before was dedicated to celebrating the family and welcoming the Browns.
In a social media post published July 17, the Spiesses said the Browns let them know that morning they were terminating the agreement “at this time.”
Mike Spiess told the East Oregonian that despite the diligent work and the Browns’ commitment, there had been a few signs by the end of last month the deal would not move forward.
“They just didn’t feel it was going to work for them,” he said.
Andrew Brown declined to comment to the EO.
The plan for now is to operate the outdoor theater through the end of the summer, the Spiesses said, adding the business and the land will be for sale at the end of the 2026 season.
In their post, the owners said they are energized to continue to be present for the community: “To quote Buzz Lightyear, we are prepared to serve you ‘to infinity and beyond!’”
The plan is not to shut the drive-in down but to get out from under it.
“It’s ‘back to the future,’” Mike Spiess laughed. “Nobody did anything wrong, it just didn’t work.”
In the meantime plans for special events are intact, but the season schedule will change somewhat.
Going forward, operating days will be Friday through Monday, and carload night will change. For updates, visit yourmfdrivein.com or follow M-F Drive IN Theater on Facebook.
