This is topic NO Outside Food & Beverage! in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Nate Lehrke (Member # 1460) on 01-23-2003, 01:04 AM:
 
What are your theatres policies on outside food & beverages? What do you actually have your staff do about it, if anything? Obviously you don’t let someone in with a pizza from Dominoes, but do you turn your back when they only have a 20oz Pepsi in there hands?

We have signs posted on our entrance doors “PLEASE NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR BEVERAGES ALLOWED IN THEATRE” But we the staff are not actually allowed to deny a customer the right to bring the item with them to see the film. This is especially a problem for us because of a Star Bucks in the Mall very close. We can find that up to 25% of the trash after the show to be not sold by us.

Do you think the usher’s should say to the patron “For future reference, we don’t allow outside food in, but you can do it this time” (that’s our current policy) or refuse them until it’s trashed, just don’t even tear there ticket if they have an outside product in there possession.

I would like to as tactful as possible. I don’t want to piss people off that just bought there $3.89 Mocha & are late for there film & I tell them to either chug it or trash it, but I also am sick of picking up trash from other businesses. What would you do?
 

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Posted by Daniel Burns (Member # 1549) on 01-23-2003, 01:09 AM:
 
Our company policy is no outside food or drinks. At my last theatre we strictly enforced it, but where I'm at now, in a brand new theatre built into a mall it's hard to do so. The ushers don't seem to give a damn and the management isn't telling them any differently, but if I were down there I'd have a trash can right next to ticket drop.
 

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Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 01-23-2003, 01:34 AM:
 
At all of the theatres I work at they try to enforce it as much as possible. But do you know how much food you can stuff in a winter jacket?

The worst place for this is at the drive-in. There's certain people you just know are bringing a ton of food in (usually on $7CDN / carload night) that you'd love to stop and search their vehicle and make them give you the food (hey I gotta eat ).

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Obviously you don’t let someone in with a pizza from Dominoes, but do you turn your back when they only have a 20oz Pepsi in there hands?

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About four or five years ago I actually had someone have a pizza delivered to the threatre. When I told the patron that I wasn't going to let them have their own little pizza party in the theatre their response was, "I'm not from town, I'm at my cottage. They let me do this in Toronto." Of course I still didn't let them have it, so they just went back in the theatre. The best part was I knew the guy delivering the pizza and he gave it to me in exchange for a double pass.
 

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Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 01-23-2003, 01:39 AM:
 
We try to enforce it as much as possible in a polite and courteous manner.

After all, it does hurt the per cap. That's what pays your wages. Daniel, the company will probably take note when the per caps go down the crapper! They usually do.....
 

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Posted by Matthew Peters (Member # 1495) on 01-23-2003, 04:12 AM:
 
At the theatre I work for, you can bring any outside food or drink into the cinema with only two exceptions that are stringently enforced:

1. No alcohol (as we do not have a Liquor licence)

2. Absolutely No Hot Food – not in the cinema or any foyer
area. Ushers, management, box office / concession
attendants even projectionist will ask patrons to take
the food outside of the premises and consume it.

I once had a heated argument with a customer who argued that the burgers and fries he had obtained from Mac Donald’s was "no longer hot and therefore I had no right to ask him to leave the premises."
 

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Posted by Kevin Baglow (Member # 721) on 01-23-2003, 05:37 AM:
 
Hi, this is good, no password to remember. Anway, about the no outside food or drink: I've got the staff on a bonus for best spend per head. This made a huge difference, so staff inforce no importing, and the customers accept the deal- once the word got round.
 

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Posted by Stephen Brown (Member # 292) on 01-23-2003, 06:07 AM:
 
We have a situation like this at the local theatre in my area, that is being dragged through the local papers at the monet.

A mother took her children, who were on special low sugar diets, to the movies and she wasn't allowed to take the special food in. So she and the children didnt get to go.

So what would be a policy in that situation whereby the food available from the Snack counter is unfit for certain people who want to bring there own?

regards
SteveB
 

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Posted by Don Furr (Member # 1469) on 01-23-2003, 07:11 AM:
 
At ALL of our discount theatres the policy was absolutely NO food or drink. If we caught it at the door you had to throw it away or get a refund. If we caught it in the theatres you had to throw it away or leave....NO EXCEPTIONS. In the discount business you live on the per cap.
 

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Posted by Kris Brunton (Member # 432) on 01-23-2003, 08:16 AM:
 
The theater I used to work at had a no tolerance policy on outside food and drink. We used to offer to hold the items they had - usually canned pop, chips, etc, till the end of the show.. I never had to deal with coffee that much but we usually made the patron finish the drink before entering the theater. The layout of our theater made it easier to enforce this as the patron was not allowed in the lobby till they went past an usher taking the tickets. I newer multiplexes I could see this being a problem - It is a little harder to tell the person that they can't have outside food in the theater once they are already in it.
 

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Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 01-23-2003, 09:08 AM:
 
We have a strict policy on no outside food or drink, too. If they're down to their last few sips of drink or last little bit of food as they enter, we let them finish it... IN THE LOBBY.

We've also offered to hold the food until after the movie, which most people don't have a problem with. Still, each day we pick up trash from stuff we don't sell.

The worst is when they insist on you letting them bring their own food because "you guys charge outrageous prices for yours!!" Well, maybe if more people bought ours instead of bringing their kitchen pantry with them, we could lower the price!

I've seen people order pizzas into the auditorium on their cell phones before. What the hell are they thinking??

=TMP=
 

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Posted by Barry Floyd (Member # 385) on 01-23-2003, 09:59 AM:
 
This is a great topic, and was covered very well last year at the United Drive-In Theatre Owner's Association Conference in Kissimee, Florida. (By the way... this years drive-in owner's conference starts on Monday the 3rd of February,2003 at the same place!)

Anyway... everyone knows that drive-ins probably have the worst time with this than any type of theatre setting, because people can hide so much stuff in their car. At last years conference, one of the drive-in owners told us all about his new "Outside Food & Beverage Permit" he has implemented at his theatre in Baltimore, Maryland. He said, many nights he was at his theatre picking up trash from McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Burger King, etc.... when he realized each item of trash he picked up was money he didn't earn in the concessions stand. He now bans outside food and beverages, but gives his patrons an option. If they want to bring in their pizza from Pizza Hut or whatever.. they can, but they must first purchase an "Outside Food and Beverage Permit" as they enter the theatre. It's a charge of like $4.00 - $5.00, (which is minimal to the amount they might have spent on concessions), and the permit card is placed on the dashboard of the car when your parked. If the patrons refuse to purchase the permit, they can either dispose of their food items in the trash cans at the gates, or may leave the theatre all-together. If they blantantly lie about not having any food in the car, and are later found with it without purchasing an "Outside Food & Beverage Permit".. the entire carload of patrons are ejected from the theatre grounds with no refunds given.

It may sound kind of extreme... but answer this.... "How many other venues where you are required to purchase a ticket for your admission can you bring in your own food?"

Indoor theatre...NO
Professional Sporting Events... NO (Although NASCAR has been an exception to this for awhile)
Live Theatre... NO
College Sporting Events.. NOT usually....

So, if the vast majority of "PAID ADMISSION" type venues have a posted ban on outside food and beverages.. why do drive-in patrons think they are the exception to the rule?

Our new theatre, the Stardust Drive-In Theatre will more than likely implement such a policy as well... probably from day one! We're not building the drive-in our parents went to years ago. No "car load pricing", no "one-hole'r" restrooms, no "over-run by teenagers" make-out spot, no "druggies" on the back row, etc.

If the patrons (indoor and outdoor alike) are "trained" from day one that "THIS" (whatever it may be) is the policy of this particular theatre, and will be strictly enforced, they will either learn to accept it, abide by our house rules, or may look elsewhere for their entertainment. For every unruly patron you eject or turn away, there's always another one or two who's willing to take their parking space.

[ 01-23-2003, 01:55 PM: Message edited by: Barry Floyd ]
 

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Posted by Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 01-23-2003, 11:39 AM:
 
We also enforce our policy as strictly as possible. About 99% of people understand but there always that one that gets belligerant. If someone is being really mean about it we ask them to leave or call our great local police on them to help them out the door. I agree with Thomas, if so many people would stop bringing in their own food we could lower our prices.
 

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Posted by Steve Anderson (Member # 364) on 01-23-2003, 11:50 AM:
 
Since we serve beer ( draft and bottle ) pizza, hamburgers, wings and all the normal food items at a concession stand we tend to not have a problem. On occasions we have some folks with Starbucks coffee come in but..... I always try to sell them a slice of our homemade fudge cake or brownies to go with that coffee.
 

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Posted by Randy Loy (Member # 112) on 01-23-2003, 01:11 PM:
 
Barry is absolutely correct about the drive-in theatre at Baltimore that has a "no outside food and beverage" policy. One of UDITOA's other member theatres, the Tri-Way Drive-In at Plymouth, Indiana, has also successfully instituted such a policy.

One of the problems both theatres ran up against was the public's perception that the theatre owner gets to keep ALL of the box office proceeds and that bringing your own food to the drive-in is part of the drive-in ritual. After a few years of educating their customers about the economic realities of operating a drive-in theatre, accompanied by strict enforcement, both theatres report that patrons have adapted well to the policy.

Another approach some of our member theatres have taken is the use of a custom made intermission film trailer that very tactfully explains that movie theatres largely depend upon concession sales for survival. This approach seems to be helping also. I've had drive-in exhibitors tell me that they've had patrons approach them and apologize for bringing outside food, saying they never realized how movie theatres made their money.

Randy Loy
Executive Director
United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association
 

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Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 01-23-2003, 04:35 PM:
 
As usual, the democrats in here don't acknowledge that any other party exists!

Barry and Randy are correct in that there's been a huge debate over this subject within the drive-in community.

We go the "no tolerance" route at our indoor operation. However, we bow to tradition at the drive-in... something I realize frustrates the reformers out there, but is (as far as I know) much more prevalent within the industry, and I'm absolutely ok with it.

My opinion here: There are various elements that make the traditional drive-in experience... one of them being the ability to choose whether to bring in your own snacks or patronize the concession. Many of today's drive-ins are marginal operations that need concession income enough to force the issue. Ours is not one of them. Additionally, we find the problem not as large as others do, as our concession product is high in quality and is priced reasonably. On busy nights we have enough of a problem getting everyone through the place that we don't notice an effect from outside items.

On the other hand, we don't have McD's, Burger King, or Mr. Fish anywhere near us, so we can sympathize with those who do.

Our drive-in IS our daddy's drive-in, and as it applies to this issue, we're happy to operate within the framework of tradition.

What is clear though, is that this issue is very personal to many operators, both indoor and out, and the debate will probably never be completely settled.
 

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Posted by Barry Martin (Member # 1376) on 01-23-2003, 06:26 PM:
 
My theater had the policy of "No Outside Food Or Beverage" but management enforcement was pretty lax until maybe 2000. On the seldom occasions I was taking tickets I would factor in a few things before turning away a patron who might be and could continue to be a long-term customer:

1) Did they buy something from us; similar to the "Outside Food/Beverage Permit" I guess. If they bought a Snapple because we don't sell tea/fruit cocktails but did buy a bucket of popcorn and 4 admissions then I would let them in.

2) If they had glass I would allow them to bring it in (in accordance with the above) but ask them to first get a plastic cup from the concession stand and throw away the glass as it could fall to the floor and cause a safety problem for staff/patrons.

3) How soon is their movie starting. If they have 5 minutes to find a seat (if there is even a good one or 4 seats together left) and get settled then I would allow it in accordance with the above. If they have 30 minutes I would ask them to please take a seat on the sofas in our lobby, use the tables we also provide in the lobby, and finish before entering the theater.

In any instance I would always take the chance to brag about what selections we had to offer. Being a 20 plex and fairly new we were lucky enough to have a kitchen and coffee bar in addition to popcorn, soda, and candy. We had everything from chicken fingers to fajitas to popcorn shrimp and Nachos with EVERYTHING. A lot of people never even bothered looking at our menus just assuming it was the "same old over-priced popcorn/hotdog/soda" selection. And I do have to admit the food was REALLY good. Often I would buy it for lunch when I was tired of bad chinese food, McD's, and subs from our "food court" in the mall. I think this food, while more expensive, contributed much to the success of our concessions. At least when I worked the kitchen it was VERY busy.
 

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Posted by Jim Alexander (Member # 226) on 01-23-2003, 08:30 PM:
 
We learned, quite a while ago, that:
a) People will try to sneek food and drink into the theatre
b) Every rule does not cover every situation.
From this I expected people to sneek food in their jackets or back packs. To alleviate this, back packs were to be left in the Box Office. Jackets were hard to cover, so we just assumed they were clean. What we didn't expect were those that would come to the theatre with shopping bags full of pop, popcorn, chocolate bars and candy. And I don't mean just a couple of items, these held enough to keep a family of five happy for a whole show. These, people were told, they could not bring into the theatre. Just about everyone was a little upset. A few tried to argue, but non won.

We've had a few special diet customer, and these we do not challenge. They are greatful and make special point of purchasing what they can from the canteen.

General rule. If they are obvious about it, don't let them. If they are honest about it, compromise. If they are caught, bust'em
 

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Posted by Don Bruechert (Member # 1538) on 01-23-2003, 09:51 PM:
 
Our theater as well has a "No Outside Food" policy. I have never caught anyone that tried to bring anything in that was not concealed, and we rarely have ushers to try to catch them in the auditorium. I do see some outside stuff on the floors on occasion, and have thrown people out who are consuming alcohol on the premises. Fortunately you can smell beer a mile away and even if they hide it in a cup you can eventually find out who it is.

This is something we had discussed with the owner once upon a time, and his explanation was the customers just assumed we were a bunch of greedy bastages, and that was one point, but another point is that they could bring in food of questionable quality, consume it during a movie and become sick. The result would be them trying to blame us for the illness. People bringing in beverages in containers other than the standard cups (twist 'n go excepted) could drop them from the balcony, throw them or otherwise injure someone - also a liability problem. As to alcohol, we will turn away customers that have obvious signs of drinking. Not only could they fall and hurt themselves, but it sucks to clean up the they sometimes leave behind.

From a customer's perspective, and being on a low carb diet, I usually smuggle in my own food that is acceptable to my diet, but I will try to be fair by buying what I can from the concession stand - usually a large diet soda is about all they have I can eat. There aren't too many low-carb options that would be popular in a movie house (yet). Most of them around here don't bother to check once you're in the theatre anyway.
 

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Posted by Daniel Boisson (Member # 1027) on 01-24-2003, 12:13 AM:
 
we're very strict with no outside foods or beverages. We don't usually allow backpacks and bags either, we tell customers they can put it in their car, or we'll hold on to it in the back room. The drive-in down the street has a "no food or beverage" policy, but it isn't enforced at all, they don't seem to have any major trouble with it.
 

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Posted by Bill Langfield (Member # 818) on 01-26-2003, 01:00 PM:
 
I love drive-in food. I would never bother bringing in Mc'D (It's hatefull stuff anyway, I'll at most get a Quarter Pounder every six months at most. Those other burgers are gross. The 'meat' on cheeseburgers and BigMacs are always died out)

Half the fun of going to the drive-in being first into the diner at interval, before everyone else, to get that burger/fries/coke.
Eat up, then makeout while second crap (not always) movie is on!!!

Oh the drive in I'm taking about is GUO twin at Blacktown, Sydney OZ, just down the road from me, and I work just up the road at a Hoyts cinema. I love the drive-in, I'm glad they are keeping it going, even if it might be taking business off us. (I'd say only at NIGHT though!!)

As for the policy of not allowing outside food in, gee, that is a difficult one, us like many others are in a shopping centre, and like many others are located very close to the food court and supermarkets. We dont allow hot food, and don't sell it (well we do if call Popcorn hot food), the only other restriction is no glass bottle or cans. So our 'percap' suffers because they buy coke from the supermarkets and popcorn from 'kernels' at a 1/4 of the price. (Everytime I walk past Kernels and they are offering samples, I say no thanks and think 'GRR youy are the enemy getting me in troublefor low per cap!!)

I think any cinema near such strong competetion dropped prices to a reasonable level, they might sell more at the Candy bar, but they will never will.

As others have noted, thats where Cinemas make their money, at the CANDY bar (and slide/film ads) not at the box office.

How about the Film Distibitors made it 50/50 first release rather than 90/10. But that wont happen.

Ok thats the end of a another rant at 5am!!

Bill.
 

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Posted by Nate Lehrke (Member # 1460) on 01-26-2003, 04:14 PM:
 
Does anyone know of any theatre/fast-food partnership where the theatre actually sells the restaurant's food?

The only one I know of is White Castle burgers & fries being served at a drive-in in Minnesota.
 

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Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 01-26-2003, 04:32 PM:
 
We had Pizzaria Uno at the Greenwood Plaza in Denver. The joke was that they then opened a Pizzaria Uno accross the parking lot from the theatre.

I'm not sure it was successful. The staff enjoyed quite a few pizzas.
 

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Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 01-26-2003, 09:10 PM:
 
Fast food in a movie theatre (in Canada):

• Pizza Hut
• New York Fries
• Baskin Robbins
• Yogen Fruz
• Country Style Donuts
• Taco Bell
• A few others I can't remember...

quote:

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I enjoyed quite a few free pizzas. Management did not like it when I did not pay for them.

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Uh... that's what spoilage sheets are for.
 

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Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 01-28-2003, 05:58 PM:
 
The GCC Bridgewater Commons served Uno pizza around 1996-97. That made it a halfway decent alternative to the food court in the mall and the diners nearby.

Uno has a lot of locations near theaters. In fact, Uno recently had a pop-up ad that appeared when you called up showtimes for a Movietickets.com theater (AMC, National Amusements).

Mega Movies in East Brunswick NJ is within a major mall but has their own brand-name concession stand: Uno, Nathan's Famous, Ben & Jerry's.
 

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