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Topic: To sell popcorn or not to sell popcorn?

Jan Hackett
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 148
From: Albuquerque, NM, USA
Registered: Apr 2002

posted 04-22-2002 07:12 PM

I am operating a 270 seat 8:70 Iwerks estreme screen in a museum. We currently change films every 6 months. Our show running time is 40 minutes. Our main attendees are school kids on field trips. We are considering selling concessions to boost our profit margin. However our auditorium is very nice and CLEAN. I was thinking of selling popcorn and flavored bottle water. However we only have a twenty minute intermission. We currently have a no food or drink policy. What are your thoughts?

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Darryl Spicer
Film God

Posts: 3250
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 04-22-2002 07:29 PM

I went to a 3D Imax theater down in Chatanooga, TN a few years ago. They were selling concessions. Popcorn, candy, and Soda. They always had the popcorn already in the buckets ready go all you had to do was get one out of the warmer. The Imax was located at the aquarium. The thing that I noticed was that the groups of kids that came in from the schools did not have any concessions with them. But when I watched the 2D presentation of Everest. Custumers were waiting in line to buy concessions. If the theater never sold concessins and no food or drinks were allowed in the theater then I would say that you will probably need a better cleaning staff too.

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 04-22-2002 08:40 PM

Popcorn and soft drinks are almost pure profit. But the popcorn machines are very expensive. With proper care, the popcorn machine will last a long time, and will pay for itself very quickly.

Pepsi or Coke usually supplies the soft drink dispensers, and will maintain them for you.

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David Favel
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 764
From: Ashburton, New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 04-22-2002 09:19 PM

Depends what your predominant business is.

In my experience most school groups don't allow purchases.

Perhaps ask the schools what their rules allow?

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Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 04-22-2002 11:19 PM

We have a special school group combo. It get used about 15% of the time, I would guess. The rest of the groups purchase nothing. We also offer school groups a ham sandwich-type of lunch break between double features. But then again, we have a banquet room located off of the main lobby.

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Jan Hackett
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 148
From: Albuquerque, NM, USA
Registered: Apr 2002

posted 04-29-2002 09:40 AM

I guess my question is "How hard is it to keep a steep stadium house clean?" Do any of you use central vaccumming?

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Jan Hackett
Theater Operations Manager
Extreme Screen Dynatheater
NM Museum of Natural History Foundation

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-29-2002 12:34 PM

Is the area between the seats carpeted or just the aisles
If it is carpeted between the seats our experience is the carpet needs to be replaced every 2 years since we started selling concessions for all shows which cuts into the profit margin of the bar bigtime

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Jan Hackett
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 148
From: Albuquerque, NM, USA
Registered: Apr 2002

posted 04-29-2002 04:25 PM

A Bar...now thats a thought..the area between the seats is concrete

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-02-2002 01:04 PM

Spilled soda is more hassle than popcorn...at least you can sweep popcorn up. With your idea of flavored bottled water, you would minimize the spill problem (some people will STILL find ways to spill it) but you wouldn't make near as much $$ as you would with a Pepsi or Coke machine

Also, do your seats have cup holders? That'd cut a big percentage of spills.

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Ian Price
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1714
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-02-2002 02:09 PM

My old Imax in the Museum of Natural History in Denver didn't sell popcorn or any concessions. The room was very nice and fully carpeted.

I just saw Space Station 3D at the Sony Lowe’s Metreon in San Francisco and they let all of their concessions in to the Imax screen. So I happily ate my fake buttered, Pop Secret, popcorn while fiddling with my LCD shutter glasses.

I'd say go for it. Don't let theatre cleanliness stand between you and a potential boat payment (profit).

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Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 05-02-2002 03:47 PM

The deal with institutional theaters is that most of the visitors are on a school field trip. And most of the time, they do not purchase anything "extra" like concessions, because (1) the school does not want to pay for it or (2) the teachers don't want to deal with the hassle of pay-all-together-or-pay-individually or (3) the films are only 40 minutes long and the kids can wait until lunch after the show. That's my experience with it, anyway.

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John Scott
Master Film Handler

Posts: 252
From: Oakdale, MN, USA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 05-04-2002 08:37 PM

I've found when I do special shows for schools that about half will allow the kids to purchase vending and half will not. But then again when schools do come to regular theatres its for a "special treat" as opposed to going to IMAX's for educational films.

But I've found for cleanup when I do schedule the shows I'll say something to the teachers doing the scheduling if they do want vending it would be a great help to me if they could make an announcement to ask the kids to please help pick up their trash on the way out. 9 times out of 10 the kids do then pick of their trash and I only have to sweep the auditorium instead of doing a good cleaning.

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Chad Souder
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 962
From: Waterloo, IA, USA
Registered: Feb 2000

posted 05-11-2002 10:10 AM

If you're gonna sell drinks, you have to sell fountain drinks. The profit margins are much, much, much higher, and like was earlier mentioned, you can get Coke or Pepsi to provide you with the machine as part of the contract. Bottled water is good too as an alternative to free tap water. Overall, I think your profits with corn and pop will be substantially higher than the cost of keeping things clean. We seem to have more of a problem with gum anyway, which we don't even sell.

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"Asleep at the switch? I wasn't asleep, I was drunk!" - Homer Simpson

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David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 05-11-2002 10:35 AM

Bottled water seems to be a big seller at the movies around here. (Although Oregon law requires that all food service locations offer free tap water, and they cannot charge for a cup.)

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