This is topic Sneaking food into the theater in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 05-31-2002, 07:21 PM:
I know it happens -- I've often enjoyed my movies with a candy bar I tucked into my pants pocket before I bought my ticket.In one city the press has jumped all over it and made it sound like it's an epidemic.
Not only that, it made the front page!
Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 05-31-2002, 07:59 PM:
I dislike when people sneak food in to my theatre and then don't clean it up. I especially hate sunflower seeds spit all over the floor.We don't have any signs because we beleave negative signs will leave our customers with negative thoughts.
If you subtle and need to bring you own snacks in, far be it from me to make a big deal out of it. If you are blatent and carry a pizza or icecream I will remind you that it is customary to not consume outside food and drink in a movie theatre.
Those that do will never change and those that don't need a wide variety to choose from.
Posted by Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 05-31-2002, 09:23 PM:
It really would not bother me either if they just cleaned up their mess. If we see someone carrying in a pop or candy we ask them to not bring it in and the same if we see someone drinking pop out of a can in the auditorium. It just seems that in general, if someone sneaks in pop, beer, etc. they always seem to sit at the top and spill it all the way down.------------------
Adam Fraser
www.pinestheatre.com
Posted by Chad Souder (Member # 343) on 05-31-2002, 09:42 PM:
What kills me is when people sneak in a bag and then come out saying their popcorn spilled and could they get it refilled. Boy, that bag really got wrinkly between here and your seat. It amazes me, however, that otherwise good, honest people, rationalize to themselves that sneaking in food is not dishonest. Why are you sneaking it then? Parents sneaking in food for them and their kids, I wonder if it has an impact on the wee ones.------------------
"Asleep at the switch? I wasn't asleep, I was drunk!" - Homer Simpson
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 05-31-2002, 10:17 PM:
In Ontario any place that sells food will loose there license on the first conviction of outside prepared food on premisies
Posted by Brad Haven (Member # 954) on 05-31-2002, 11:31 PM:
We allow non aromatic food and drink into our cinemas, but do not allow hot fast foods (burgers,fish and chips,asian food etc...).
We have signs on our cinema doors saying 'no hot take away food' but people choose not to read it and when caught with hot food they say they didnt see the sign, we unfortunatly dont have any ushers on the doors anymore (cant afford them?)so we often catch them when it's too late, as the cinema already stinks of burger!. 
When i go to the hoyts cinema which is 100 metres away, i usually pop into work grab a free coke and then go see the film at hoyts (for free) and they dont mind , the first time i asked if it was ok and they said no prob!.
Posted by Ron Lacheur (Member # 1126) on 06-01-2002, 12:51 AM:
What makes me mad is when people think that they can bring in their outside food/drink, then when i state that outside food and drink are not welcome ( well not those exactly words ) in our theater, and point to the BIG sign, is that they start up " ohhhh I didn't know, can you let me in just this one time ". Like are you bloody stupid? Haven't you been to a movie theater before? Every theater I've been to doesn't allow outside food or drink.
Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 06-01-2002, 02:01 AM:
Back in the day when I ran my theater, this is the wording of a sign we had posted on every door and in the lobby...
"Our business license says that we are a restaraunt, because we sell food. Just like any restaraunt, we ask that you refrain from bringing in your own food. If you did that at a nice place where they had no movie screens, they would kick you out on your keester. Just because our movie theaters are dark, doesn't mean that you can't hurt our feelings. We work very hard for very little pay so that you can have a great time here. We do this because we love you. Please remember this the next time you do us the great favor of purchasing a large popcorn and a large drink, both of which come with tasty free refills.
Oh, and nevermind the alligator, we only keep him in here because we cannot afford to pay a janitor to clean up all the outside food that is left behind on the floor. Just remember to keep your hands in your lap at all times. Oh, and he likes sunflower seed shells the most.
The Management"
For a discount house, we made 22 grand a week, 14 grand of it was concessions. that wasnt the case until we put up the very colorful and bright signs that just begged to be read.
Dave
Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 06-01-2002, 02:04 AM:
If the customer was subtle, or at least tried to be, I would overlook outside food, depending on what it was. A candy bar or something is no big deal, and I even let a couple through while they were still eating their sub sandwiches so they wouldn't miss the beginning of the movie. But when someone goes as far as to order a pizza on their cell phone into the auditorium that's just obnoxious. (I witnessed the delivery person carrying it into the auditorium through the port hole.)
As far as people not cleaning up their snuck-in food, they should be severely beaten about the face and neck. I've seen everything from microwaved popcorn bags to 2-liter soda bottles left behind. It's as if they were saying, "Not only did we bring our own stuff that you sell here, we're going to make you clean it up, too."
Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 06-01-2002, 04:13 AM:
About outside food.Does the cinema need to put a sign up (or text on say the back of the ticket) to tell you that outside food it not allowd. Plenty of the multiplexs I have seen have no sign ect anywhere.
In other words if they have no sign, then I would think it was acceptable to take my own food in.
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 06-01-2002, 08:52 AM:
If I owned a theatre, I don't think I would mind if people occasionally brought candy or other non-messy, non-smelly, non-noisy food into the theatre. People who do this sort of thing wouldn't buy anything at the theatre concession stand, anyway. Obviously, anyone who ordered pizza and had it delivered to the theatre should be forced to "donate" the pizza to the theatre staff. 
Unless the theatre has a policy against outside food, I don't really see how bringing it in would be "dishonest" and there would be no need to "sneak" it in.
Having said that, I've never brought outside food into a movie; if I want to eat anything at all during a film, it would be popcorn and most theatres can provide better quality popcorn than I can make at home. Besides, I normally patronize theatres that I want to support, anyway, and I'm happy to patronize their concession stands.
Posted by Dave Bird (Member # 490) on 06-01-2002, 09:02 AM:
What about water? Many people including me, think you shouldn't have to pay for water. That being said, I would still never take water to an indoor. I don't feel bad when I take water into an outdoor, even though they sell it there. I always buy $10-$20 at any snack bar, knowing where the money is made. I can sleep at night.
Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 06-01-2002, 09:15 AM:
When I go to a movie I eat popcorn and red vines and coke. The local theater used to sell popcorn, twizzlers and pepsi. Twizzlers and pepsi make me gag so I always snuck in red vines and coke and bought popcorn. I always said that if they would sell what I wanted, I would buy it there, as I know how important it is to the theater as revenue. Well a few months back they changed over from pepsi to coke so now all I sneak in is red vines. I keep asking them if they have red vines hoping that they will start selling those as well but no luck so far.------------------
Greg Mueller
Amateur Astronomer, Machinist, Filmnut http://www.muellersatomics.com/
Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 06-01-2002, 10:34 AM:
Dave B: At the 12-plex near my home bottled water does well with the adult crowd. Hot food isn't much of a problem since there's a Mickey D's, a pizza parlor and an Arby's (roast beef) within walking distance.
Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 06-01-2002, 12:22 PM:
On the subject of water!We sell Crystal Geyser water for $1.75 a bottle. We also have carbonated, lime and lemon flavors.
We have pitchers of tap water (strangely not very good in Santa Rosa) on the counter at all times with small cups. This feature is very popular. We must refill the water many times during a rush. We put it there so people would stop asking for it and wasting time in line.
The little old ladies who buy nothing at the concession stand, ever, say, "Oh, we just love that you provide this service." We just smile while I think, 'you cheap bastards! Buy something, will ya?'
Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 06-01-2002, 01:09 PM:
The theatre I am currently installing is less than 50 yards away from a McDonalds. I feel a great disturbance in the Force... I see tons of Mickey-D's food sneaking in... 
-Aaron
Posted by Andy Muirhead (Member # 712) on 06-01-2002, 06:40 PM:
Anyone bringing food into my cinema beware: I'll get ya! especially if it's hot, and extra especially if it comes from maccy-d's, because you make the whole place STINK!Honestly i don't understand why people think its ok to brink their stinking food in to watch a film. They wouldn't take a packed lunch into maccy-d's would they? We sell a wide range of sweets and juice. We don't sell hot food for a reason - it stinks.
Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 06-01-2002, 08:23 PM:
Leaving the remains of brought-in food is rude, but some do it as a protest of the high ticket prices (and being forced to watch ads on top of that)- of course they don't know it isn't affecting the people who set the prices, just those who have to clean it up.
Over 10 years ago when the first theater in the area raised its ticket prices to $6.50, a letter was printed in a local paper saying "For $4 a ticket, I'll pick my trash up. I might even pick up anyone else's trash that might be there. For $5, I'll leave my trash on the floor. For $6.50, I'm bringing in trash from OUTSIDE and leaving it there!"
Posted by John Scott (Member # 520) on 06-01-2002, 09:19 PM:
The previous theatre I was manager at was less than a block away from a liquor store so when trashing an auditorium we'd often find beer bottles, malt liquor cans, and occasionally full size liquor bottles, always empty of course. It amazed me how people are able to sneak this stuff in without me or my staff noticing (especially since we catch 90% of it because of clinking bottles and such). But how does someone sneak in a 24pack case of Heniken bottles without anyone noticing?
The other situation I had involved the art house theatre that was just around the corner from my old theatre. One time, shortly before I was promoted, I had a guy come up and wanted to buy tickets for one of our shows, holding in his hand a large popcorn and large soda from the theatre around the corner (not part of our chain). He then threw a fit not understanding why I wouldn't sell him a ticket as long as he was insisting on carrying in their product. Even though we had no carry-in signs.
I'll sometimes overlook carry-ins with regular customers who I know buy product from our vending stand (EG someone bringing in their own home filled liter bottle of water when I know they are still going to buy popcorn from us), or bring in a product like Coffee that we don't have the capability of selling (not messy or smelly food like fast food, pizza, or ice cream), but I won't let someone come in with product that we sell at our location (candy or other soda for instance). It might not be the most customer friendly policy, but I think it boils down to an issue of respect. If as a patron you aren't going to respect our business, then do I really want your patronage?
Posted by Barry Floyd (Member # 385) on 06-03-2002, 09:48 AM:
This was a topic that was brought up at the U.D.I.T.O.A. (United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association) conference in Orlanda in February. Drive-ins have hard enough time to make it in the exhibition business, and losing revenue to lost food sales can litterally put you out of business.
Some of the owners were saying that, "At the end of the night while I was picking up the lot, I was picking up more trash from McDonalds, Pizza Hut, etc. - than I was from my own concession stand". What other venue that charges admission to gain access allows you to bring in your own food?
You wouldn't stand in line at the local indoor theatre with your Pizza Hut box and expect to be let in.. would you? Why should the drive-in be any different?
One approach that several drive-ins across the country have done is to sell an "Outside Food Permit".
If the patron wishes to stop by the local pizza joint or fast food place and bring their own food into the theatre, they MUST purchase an outside food permit in addition to their regular admission price. Most of the permits average between $3.00 - $4.00, and if the patrons are educated to WHY the theatre must do this, then it's usually not a bid deal. The ones who refuse.... don't get in.
We're going to implement this policy at our theatre when we open in April of 2003.
------------------
Barry Floyd
Floyd Entertainment Group
Nashville, Tennessee
(Drive-In Theatre - Start-Up)
Posted by John T. Hendrickson, Jr (Member # 849) on 06-03-2002, 08:29 PM:
You've hit on a sore subject here. We are located in a mall, and part of our operation includes a Nathans Restaurant, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Twisted Pretzels, and pizza. We encourage our patrons to use the swivel trays we provide to bring their purchases into the auditioriums. They attach to our seats and are both popular and convenient.However, we draw the line on outside food and drink. We are not about to enrich our competitors in the Mall by allowing their products into our theaters, nor are we about to spend our time and money cleaning up for them. Yet, to some people, this seems downright unreasonable. I can't tell you how many times I have been downstairs monitoring auditoriums for picture and sound, and on the way back to the booth there is someone giving our doorpeople a hard time about bringing something into the theaters.
We also face an additional problem. Contained within our lobby area are tables and chairs for the use of our customers. We have signs clearly posted that they are for the use of our patrons. Yet the managers go nuts every day asking people (nicely) who have brought in competitors' products to leave the area. Some are downright nasty about leaving and complain to the Mall management because they will get no satisfaction from us. We maintain the area, clean it, and restock napkins and condements. We also pay rent on the area, so no way are we allowing outside food and drink into our lobby area either.
I spend most of my time in the booth, thankfully. I'll only go on the floor in an emergency situation or when we are extremely busy. When it comes to this issue, I have zero tolerance for patrons trying to bring things into the theater. After they vent, I simply say "That is our posted policy. The fact that you disagree with it doesn't change it." Then I walk away.
Rant over.
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 06-03-2002, 08:37 PM:
I'd never thought about this issue in the context of a drive-in, but I like the "outside food permit" idea. It's a much more customer-friendly approach than simply banning all outside food. I'd be curious to know how this is actually implemented, though. It's pretty obvious that someone bringing in a couple of pizzas and a large cooler of soft drinks would need to buy the pass, but where is the line drawn? Would a $.50 can of Coke be enough to require the purchase of an outside food permit? Is this done on a per-car basis (same for one person as for a large van?) or a per-occupant basis?
Posted by Evans A Criswell (Member # 381) on 06-03-2002, 11:05 PM:
It seems that enforcing a "no outside food" policy would be very difficult at a drive-in. If people stay in their cars, it seems it would be very difficult to keep people from having their own refreshments in their own cars. Someone would have to go around looking in everyone's car to see if they were eating/drinking anything. ------------------
Evans A Criswell
Huntsville-Decatur Movie Theatre Information Site
Posted by Barry Floyd (Member # 385) on 06-04-2002, 10:15 AM:
As of the time of the conference in Florida in February 2002, only 2 of the "member drive-ins" had implemented an "outside food permit". One theatre in Baltimore, and another in Indiana. Both owners said that their patrons griped and complained for the first couple of weeks, but now they just see it as part of the cost of going to the movie. Most of the time the boxoffice ticket prices are still low enough that even with the additional purchase of the food permit, the total cost to the patrons is still cheaper than a trip to the indoor theatre. The $3.00 - $5.00 food permit covers everyone in the car - but cannot be shared with patrons in another car. Some owners have stated "You cannot share the food you brought with someone in another car - if the other car doesn't have a permit".The $0.50 can of Coke... I'm not sure, but I think the answer would be yes... they would be required to buy a permit.
It may be hard to implement and control. But the people who "sneak food in" would be asked to leave.
I think if the patrons are educated as to "why the need for the food permit exist", they would have no problem with the purchase. If they can do math, most would realize that even with the food permit purchase, their food costs for the evening may even be cheaper than if they bought it in the concessions stand.