Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Self serve Popcorn?

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Posted by Ronda Fitzsimmons (Member # 1418) on 02-06-2009, 12:22 PM:

I run a small chain of move over theatres in PA, and I've heard of theatres that have self serve popcorn, but I can't for the life of me figure out how that would work safely. Anyone out there have experience with setting up self serve popcorn that isn't already in the bags? We have self serve soda and butter now, and our customers love it. Thanks to any who reply!

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 02-06-2009, 12:59 PM:

I would assume self-serve corn would usually come in the form of someone filling bags of it, placing them in a holding warmer, and when the guest orders their corn they grab whichever size bag they ordered from said warmer.

That said, I don't know any chain doing it either that way or the way you described.

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 02-06-2009, 02:09 PM:

As Chris noted...Self-serve popcorn is pre-bagged at every location I've seen do a self-serve snack bar. The customer opens a warmer door, picks their already filled bag or cup, and proceeds through the line. This was a pretty common practice at drive-ins, and Cinemark is adopting this idea from Century in new builds (Century would hand you the bag, but butter it for you. Cinemark has self-serve buttery topping doo-hickeys.)

I've never seen a setup where the customer literally bags their own popcorn. I can't imagine somebody doing that.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 02-06-2009, 02:58 PM:

Cretors makes (made?) a machine with a corkscrew similar to an ice machine. Louis

Posted by Rick Raskin (Member # 1561) on 02-06-2009, 06:59 PM:

KB theaters had a coin-op popcorn machines. Customer puts in coin, bag drops and fills with popcorn. It didn't seem to be a big deal.

Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 02-06-2009, 08:36 PM:

At the chain I work for this was a common occurance a few years ago (I think all the sites have got rid of self serve now).

We used (and still use) cardboard cartons instead of bags. Customers would fill them themselves. [Roll Eyes]

The worst problen was the mess (and factor in the wastage of popcorn that went all over the floor).

Posted by Chad Souder (Member # 343) on 02-06-2009, 08:38 PM:

quote: Rick Raskin
KB theaters had a coin-op popcorn machines.

Was it air-popped? I've seen coin-op popcorn machines in malls before and they were air-popped. Smelled OK, tasted disgusting.

Posted by Caleb Johnstone-Cowan (Member # 3710) on 02-06-2009, 11:18 PM:

I've seen two kinds of self-serve popcorn. One was at the Empire in Leicester Square, a bit like an automat, you opened the doors and took the bags of popcorn then queued up at the stand to pay. That has gone now and they have vastly improved the concessions stand and foyer.

The other kind is found at a few Odeons in the UK, also at a couple of ex-UGC Cineworlds. There are big vertical warmers, presumably filled at the top, you open the hatch and then shovel your own popcorn. The drinks are also self-serve.

I always get my coke and popcorn from the staff if the stand is self-serve as there's usually both options available. Who knows what has been done over the day to the dispensers. In terms of the business impact you aren't able to upsell or cross-sell to customers which negates the supposed benefit of cutting queues. It's also easier to walk away in a crowd without paying.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 02-07-2009, 12:05 AM:

quote: Caleb Johnstone-Cowan
It's also easier to walk away in a crowd without paying.

A guy I know who used to be at Regal said that when they switched to having candy be chosen in the same manner (people grab whichever bag they want), their candy sales went up by 2 or 3 times at his location. So even if you consider the chance of people walking away, they increased their profit big-time.

Posted by Rick Raskin (Member # 1561) on 02-07-2009, 07:52 AM:

quote: Chad Souder
Was it air-popped?

In those days (early 1970s) pre-popped corn was the norm. I remember one theater that stored bags of popcorn in the generator room adjoining the booth.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 02-10-2009, 09:37 AM:

Google "cretors self serve popcorn"

Cretors does still list (through vendors) a 32 ounce variant of its Diplomat machine. It appears it can serve two customers at once, having dispensing augurs on each side. The advertising also says it has an integrated butter dispenser. Priced between $9,000 to $12,000+.

I imagine this would be an incredibly messy way to save on payroll.

Posted by Daniel Wright (Member # 1983) on 02-12-2009, 01:07 PM:

I remember seeing a coin operated popcorn machine in a hospital snack bar once. It was hot air popped, and the product was quite dry. It also dispensed a small ketchup packet sized package of oil and a small package of salt. The oil was rancid tasteing. For the quality of product customers expect in a movie theatre there is no way it would work.

Posted by Jack Theakston (Member # 4484) on 02-12-2009, 01:50 PM:

If there's anything I've learned in concession, it's you gotta pop it fresh. I've had customers who know its stale even before they've tasted it. I can't imagine anything pre-popped that's not hermetically sealed not going sour after a while.

Has anyone had any luck with vending machines for candy bars? I have to imagine it would slow things up with the coin insertion, but with two or three machines, certainly less staff-intensive.

Posted by John Joseph Fink (Member # 3619) on 02-12-2009, 07:24 PM:

General Cinema tried this at two newer builds (circa 1997-1999) in New Jersey: Clifton Commons and Essex Green. The remains of the Essex Green stand can still be seen today - they considered this an 'express line' - with self serve fountains and popcorn. No one ever seemed to used it, opting instead for the traditional experience of having someone behind the counter serve you.

Posted by Daniel Wright (Member # 1983) on 02-14-2009, 04:06 AM:

I ad a friend that managed a theatre years ago, they had a massive problem with shrink from the snack bar. They were loosing enough candy that it was cutting into the profits. Vending machines were the solution and worked quite well for many years.