AMC bans outside food and drink from movies

[The Straight Story]

AMC bans outside food and drink from movies


AMC Entertainment Inc., which operates four multi-screen movie theaters in the Denver area, is the latest entertainment company to ban outside food and drink from entering movies.

“AMC recently reviewed its company policy regarding outside food and drink and will no longer be permitting guests to bring in these items, as is the case with many entertainment venues,” said Sun Dee Larson, vice president of corporate communications at Kansas City, Mo.-based AMC Entertainment.

Knoxville, Tenn.-based Regal Entertainment Group, also operates several theaters in the Denver area, has the same policy.

“We are also reviewing and revamping our concessions menu and we are vigorously investigating many new items to add to our locations nationwide, to provide our guests with as much choice and value as possible,” said Larson.

http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2009/11/23/daily13.html

[704wipes]

1. Winter time -big coats big pockets

good luck AMC

[HelenWheels]

2. Nothing new

The theaters have banned outside food and drink for years in my central WI town.

[Scout]

3. i didn't know they DIDN'T ban outside food and drink,

so the news that they ARE is pretty weird.

that's pretty much standard around here ... no outside food or drink at any of the movie theaters. it's been that way for a long time :shrug:

[glowing]

6. Actually, that was my first surprise.. I thought that they did.. I've been sneaking

food all this time for nothing.. well, I guess the practice of a big purse is still in order..LOL.

[seabeyond]

25. I've been sneaking ... for decades. lol. i am with yawl. thought it always was. nt

[glowing]

4. Whatever.. What do they think moms with big purses are for.

The prices on their crappy food are outrageous. $7.00 for a fountain drink.. $10.00 for stale popcorn... Its worse than a wine list at a fancy restaurant.

[RaleighNCDUer]

16. That may be, but that's what keeps the places open.

The money paid for tickets covers the film itself and hardly anything more. It's the concessions that pays the salaries and keeps the lights on.

It may not seem that way when 'Twilight' packs the house at $8.50 a pop, but two screens down something else is playing that won't pay for its own rental. You hear about a movie that didn't make it's production costs, but it's still in the theaters - it has to be subsidized by the success of the other movies. Overall, they pretty much balance out, leaving the theaters supporting themselves with $7 popcorn and $6 sodas. It's the only place where they can make a profit.

BTW, if you have a problem with stale popcorn complain to the manager. Any GOOD theater will pop fresh before every show, and keep popping through the day. There is no excuse for theater popcorn being more than 4 hours old. The profit margin on it is high enough that they can throw out any that is stale.

[glowing]

28. I barely ever go to the movies. If our movewatcher card gives us a free popcorn and drink,

then we will splurge... Otherwise, I always have a little something in my pocket.. And believe me, the many many tweens and teens keep their profits extremely high... Those kids will see a bad movie just to "go" to the movies and get away from mom and dad for a while. Its a zoo on the weekends; especially at night. I try to hit the early or very late shows if I actually go. Mostly, we wait for the movie to come out on DVD.. sit comfortably on our sofa. Pause the movie if we need to use the bathroom.. and don't have to worry about our 5yr old seeing some boy grope his girlfriend or have spit balls in my hair.. cell phones beeping.. or someone's dirty shoes kicking the back of my seat.

[PatSeg]

29. It has always blown my mind

that theaters haven't figured it out. If they offered better food and more reasonable prices, people would actually buy MORE food at the theater. They have a captive audience for a couple of hours. It shouldn't be hard to find ways to up their dollar per customer. The lack of ingenuity in the theater business is mind-boggling to me. They keep getting bigger, but rarely better.

[SammyWinstonJack]

31. I want a 5 lb nestles crunch bar for twenty five dollars.

Where's my junior mints? I want my junior mints! :evilgrin:

[Cirque du So-What]

5. I thought a ban against outside food & drink was already S.O.P.

at theaters all around the country.

I'm torn on this issue, but in the end I have to concede that it's the theater owner's right to set the rules. It's also their loss if people decide to stay away in droves from their venue.

FWIW, if the day comes when I'm unable to sit through a 2-hour movie without fortifying myself with goodies or paying exorbitant prices for them, then it's time to give up the practice altogether.

[HopeHoops]

7. It has been banned for as along as I can remember (early 70's).

That's what coat pockets are for.

Theater food prices are outrageous.

[PeaceNikki]

8. Huh.

Maybe people can go for 120 minutes without consuming sugar and fat?

:shrug:

[LibDemAlways]

9. And how are they going to enforce it? Have the

teenage ticket takers ask women to open their purses? Good luck with that.

Maybe if they lowered the prices of concession stand items to something resembling a decent "value" people wouldn't bring in popcorn, drinks, and candy from home in the first place.

[goclark]

11. Thanks I never buy anything at the movies

The prices are too high, lines too long and they don't have healthy snacks at the movies around here.

[Renew Deal]

24. I sometimes buy stuff

Like popcorn and a drink, but I hate myself for it.

[AngryOldDem]

15. That's how they make their profits.

They get next to nothing from the box office, so that's how they justify charging damn near the price of a ticket for a bag of popcorn and a pop.

Anymore, I just prefer to wait until films I want to see come out on DVD -- going to the theater anymore is just more hassle than it's worth.

[pipi_k]

22. The last movie I saw in a theater was "Jurassic Park"...

what was that...1992 or something? :7


whatever...

I agree...too expensive...noisy...miss parts of the movie if I have to use the bathroom (got bladder issues)...parking is a pain...


So anyway, when the movie "Titanic" came out, people were all, "Oh, you just HAVE to see it in a theater!!" when I said I would wait for the DVD.

I'm glad I didn't go. I hated the movie. Way too long for my taste, for starters. At least I was comfortable at home and didn't waste my time and money going to the theater.

[Jane Austin]

27. It's not just the price of the popcorn that nauseates me.

It's the 3 days worth of FAT in a tub of popcorn that is the reason I've sneaked natural (non-"butter") popcorn in with me for years.

Popcorn and movies are like coffee and dessert for me - they just go together.

Maybe the theaters could offer something with half the calories and fat and I'd reconsider.

[harlfxstc]

10. Redbox = $1, often free with free movie codes.

Why on earth would anyone pay $8 to $10 to see a movie when you can wait a month and see it for $1 or even free with one of the many coupon codes out there.

Do you have half a dozen credit cards you don't use? You can use the free movie coupon codes once with each credit card.

Actors are overpaid anyway.

[lonestarnot]

12. Did someone invent a popcorn detector?

:popcorn:

[DainBramaged]

13. What are they going to do, search purses and pat you down?

Good luck with that assholes. Charge less for your concessions and MAYBE you'll have less of a problem.

[msongs]

14. now if they could get rid of cell phones, that would be progress nt

[RaleighNCDUer]

18. I don't know what's worse - people talking on their phones or

the lights popping up all over the auditorium as people quietly spend half the movie texting.

That is so FUCKING annoying.

[endless october]

17. it's too bad the theater doesn't offer a healthy snack option.

popcorn without all of the fat is actually pretty healthy.

[Honeycombe8]

19. Outside food and drinks has always been banned at every theater I've been to in my life.

And I'm over 50 years old.

Who DOESN'T know that in order to have healthy or cheap popcorn, you bring a large purse and stuff your microwaved popcorn and candy bar in there? Feel free to put in a Coke, too (but best to use the bottle with the screw-on top; that poptop is too loud and a dead giveaway).

[niyad]

20. big purse, little snacks. if the theatres served something remotely edible, at reasonable prices,

that would be different. can't stomach any of the crap served at our theatres.

[FarCenter]

21. They've made 150 or more feture films / year for the last few decades

Why would anyone pay $8.50 just to see the newest film?

Many of the older ones are far better than the average new one.

[Renew Deal]

23. When did they ever allow outside items?

And if they're wondering why people aren't buying their crap, it's because it's significantly overpriced.

[Stevenmarc]

26. In a related story AMC creates a VIP Club that allows you to bypass the cavity search.

[Honeycombe8]

32. I'm a single, unattached woman. Where do I sign up for that cavity search? nt

[The Straight Story]

34. shoot me a pm

:rofl:

[Fla Dem]

30. Thought that was standard policy for all theaters. n/t

[SoCalDem]

33. That's more or less been "the rule" since..well forever

When I was a teenager, back in the day before Ziploc & canned sodas, we used to pop corn at home and wrap it up in dry cleaner bags (to hide the aroma), and sneak in bottled sodas.. We always sat WAAAAAY up in the balcony, where the ushers did not like to patrol.. As soon as the lights went down, you could hear the bottle caps & that unmistakable sound a carbonated drink makes when the bottle's opened.. The problem came later when you would set the bottle on the floor, and someone would knock it over..and then the bottle would clunk-clunk-clunk its way all the way down to the landing:)

We also made a stop at the dimestore across the street, to get our own candy:)

I was so happy to see that they restored that gorgeous old Fox Theater..It was built in the '30s and almost got demolished..but it was saved..not as a movie theater..but for special events..

Here's a site that tells about it



http://www.qscaudio.com/press/press_releases/archive/2003/11_03/stiefel.htm

SALINA, KS… In many ways, the restoration of the Stiefel Theatre of the Performing Arts could be considered a small miracle. Opened in downtown Salina, KS as the Fox Theatre in 1931, the grand old movie palace welcomed generations of filmgoers before slowly sliding into a general state of disrepair which some thought would ultimately call for a final date with the wrecking ball.

Saved in the nick of time, however, with the aid of generous contributions and the skilled help of the International Fine Arts Conservation Studio (IFACS), the venerable venue arose from its own reconstruction dust last spring with a new lease on life. Now the home of the Salina Symphony, the Stiefel also plays host to a number of other local acts and national theatrical productions, and is as ornate and luxurious as it ever was new. Not to be forgotten in the renovation, house audio has been enhanced with the latest components technology has to offer, among which are eight ISA Series amplifiers

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