MIDDLE RIVER, MD—Bengies Drive-In Theatre has responded to online criticism of its “conditions of employment.”

The historic Middle River drive-in was the subject of intense blowback this week after some deemed their “conditions of employment” to be outlandish, with coverage ranging from local news blogs such as Baltimore Fishbowl to the so-called “front page of the internet,” Reddit.

On Thursday afternoon, Bengies posted a statement from owner D. Edward Vogel saying that, over the past year, he had begun handing over the reins to his “right arm,” Kenneth Adam Jr. and that the events of the past week had accelerated that process.

Vogel went on to defend Bengies and many of the policies that had been criticized online.

“For 33 years, I have been the sole owner and operator of the Bengies Drive-In Theatre. That changed this past year,” Vogel writes. “I am now part-owner of the Bengies, having made my long-standing ‘right arm’ Kenneth Adam, Jr. the ‘Heir Apparent’ to the Bengies, if the Bengies Drive-In Theatre is to continue without me.

“His ‘right arm’ is our long-standing top manager, Sean,” Vogel added. “We were hoping to make this announcement under more celebratory circumstances; however, recent events have sped that up. I am 64 and aware of my aging and mortality.”

His full statement that was posted to Facebook can be viewed below: