Owner of Knott’s Sees Boost in First-Quarter Results

Cedar Fair LP, the Sandusky, Ohio, partnership that bought Knott’s Berry Farm in 1997, reported improved first-quarter results Tuesday, saying that better weather and new attractions had boosted attendance at the Buena Park theme park.

Besides the year-round Knott’s, Cedar Fair owns four amusement parks in the East and Midwest that operate just four months a year and lose money during the off season. For the January-March quarter, Cedar Fair lost $21.8 million, or 41 cents per limited-partner unit, compared with a net loss of $23.5 million, or 44 cents per unit, in the same period of 1998.

Revenue rose 29% to $23.2 million from $18 million. Cedar Fair’s chief executive, Richard L. Kinzel, attributed the increase to the Supreme Scream and GhostRider thrill rides installed at Knott’s last year, along with improved weather conditions. A year earlier, heavy rains related to El Nino depressed attendance.