Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Monitoring Outside Food and Drink at a Drive in

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Posted by Burleigh Ibbott (Member # 3917) on 10-20-2010, 12:14 PM:

Just out of curiosity. How do you monitor people going to drive in cinema's taking there own snacks and drinks. Is it normally allowed? Do you charge per a person or per a car? If its by the car do people try to smuggle people in via the boot?

[ 11-06-2010, 05:48 PM: Message edited by: Mike Olpin ]

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 10-21-2010, 12:06 AM:

Not trying to be a dick here, but a simple search would yield a ton of talks that have gone on about this and other Drive-In threads that you'd find interesting.

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 10-21-2010, 12:12 AM:

Here's a thread on the subject.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 10-21-2010, 09:58 PM:

quote: Burleigh Ibbott
Just out of curiosity. How do you monitor people going to drive in cinema's taking there own snacks and drinks. Is it normally allowed? Do you charge per a person or per a car? If its by the car do people try to smuggle people in via the boot?

The personalities of local Drive-ins vary widely. You might make the case that no two of them are the same... certainly not in the way that many indoor houses are similar. In that same light, the policies of drive-ins regarding your questions vary widely.

quote: Burleigh Ibbott
Just out of curiosity. How do you monitor people going to drive in cinema's taking there own snacks and drinks.

In some cases, we don't. It's only in the past 10 years or so that outside food has become an issue. It's possible that the topic moved to the forefront during (passionate) discussions at the yearly conventions of the national owners association. If it was a big deal before that, I didn't hear of it.

Some operators don't worry about it, relying on the quality of our internal concessions to win out over outside products.

Some operators have food stores located near their drive-ins, making it convenient for customers to pick something up before they arrive. For them, this issue is a more serious problem.

Others feel that it's unreasonable that customers should consider bringing in outside food a "right", citing the fact that you can't bring your burgers and fries into most sporting events and the like.

As to how it's dealt with, it's either accepted, controlled or banned outright. Examples of "control" would include the "food permit", whereby a customer is allowed to bring in his snacks after paying an additional fee at the ticket booth.

Among owners, opinions vary widely over which method is the "best". As with everyting else about this business, the independent owners decide which way works best for them and leave others to make their own decisions.

quote: Burleigh Ibbott
Do you charge per a person or per a car?

Both methods are found. Most often (but not always), carload pricing now exists as a way to compete against nearby indoor theatres, some of which may have the ability to bring first run films to their operations before the drive-in can get them.

Generally, the studios resist booking new films into drive-ins that charge carload prices. In a sense, a comparison can be made between the carload, where only the driver pays, and someone who buys a ticket at an indoor theatre, then lets his buddies in through the exit door. In both cases, people are watching the film without paying, which doesn't work so well for the studios.

This isn't the case everywhere. Some (few) drive-ins have longstanding relationships with studios who will allow first-run bookings and carload pricing.

quote: Burleigh Ibbott
do people try to smuggle people in via the boot?

Oh, yeah. It's a curse that our business will likely never totally eliminate. How we deal with it varies by how seriously we view the problem, and what kind of support we get from local law enforcement.

I've seen some drive-ins ignore the issue, though now that most of us are owner-operated, that may not be the case anymore. Some will give the "sneakers" a good tounge lashing, then make them go around and pay. You could require the driver to pay again. You could also take a hard line on the practice and eject the sneakers and the entire carload they came in with, regardless of how many had actually paid. Or... you could call law enforcement and press charges. In my area, criminal trespass and 'theft of services' are common charges available. The trick there is having prosecutors that will go after such low financial numbers, and using the process sparingly.

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 10-26-2010, 11:27 AM:

Where is the line drawn regarding outside food. Prepared food--burgers, fries, sandwiches or is a bag of chips grounds for dismissal?

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 10-29-2010, 11:51 AM:

quote: Bill Enos
Where is the line drawn regarding outside food. Prepared food--burgers, fries, sandwiches or is a bag of chips grounds for dismissal?

Yah, that's a good question, Bill. It seems to vary all over the place. I've heard some owners talk of mostly making the policy a "request"... not really enforcing it at all. There are a couple of drive-ins in my state that do this. On the other end, there are a couple that I know of who say they consider a bottle of water grounds for enforcement. I'd assume the bag of chips would attract the attention of those owners.

According to some owners, patrons have had a generally positive attitude about the policy and are supportive of it, once the ramifications of bringing outside snacks are explained to them. That's where the whole thing loses me, but I'm on the other side of the political spectrum from this thing. I haven't tried it and have no intention of doing so... so I'm unable to look at it from the perspective of those who have this policy by need or choice.

Posted by Barry Floyd (Member # 385) on 11-01-2010, 08:47 AM:

quote: Burleigh Ibbott
Do you charge per a person or per a car? If its by the car do people try to smuggle people in via the boot?

I tossed 9 people out on Saturday for "theft of service" (i.e. "sneaking in without paying"). Two truck loads of teenagers, starting piling out of the vehicles after buying one admission ticket for each vehicle. Looked like a clown car. Sneaking in to the drive-in may have sounded like fun to them... for me it was $63.00 in admissions that they stole from me.

Our drive-in is only 7 years old, and we have always charged per-person. To me, there is a higher "perceived value" in a per-person price where the customer has a little more $$ invested in the evening, as opposed to car load pricing where they automatically see it as a "cheap night of entertainment". Most people know the difference between "economical" and "cheap". People looking for an "economical" alternative for family entertainment usually appreciate the value the drive-in presents, whereas the folks who seek out the "cheap seats" tend to be more of a hassle and have a tendency to tear things up, and spend less money in the concession stand. Just my thoughts...

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 11-04-2010, 07:26 PM:

quote: Barry Floyd
I tossed 9 people out on Saturday for "theft of service"

Just a question, were they asked to buy tickets and refused after? Or just straight kicked out.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 11-04-2010, 10:18 PM:

In the 70's, we surcharged sneak ins $20 each. That way, they would be penalized when caught, so there was a disincentive to sneak. Louis

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 11-04-2010, 10:23 PM:

quote: Kurt Zupin
Just a question, were they asked to buy tickets and refused after? Or just straight kicked out.

Why on earth would you ask someone who just stole from you to now go back and do what they should have in the first place?

That just encourages the game. If the customer tries and gets away with it, they score a free show. If they get caught, they just have to pay like they should have?

Good plan, there!

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 11-04-2010, 10:48 PM:

It was just a question, wasn't stating anything. Settle down, I know at some locations(Multiplexs) when theatre hoppers are caught, they may be asked to purchase a ticket. Or Kicked Out. I was just asking how it was handled in the Drive-In setting. Not saying what should or shouldn't be done. As he said, it was $63 of lost revenue. Didn't know if he did what Louis suggested or regular admission or what ever he felt like doing.

Posted by Barry Floyd (Member # 385) on 11-04-2010, 11:35 PM:

I didn't give them the option of going back and buying tickets. I did however give them the option to leave before the police officer arrived. They had already stolen from me... I didn't want them as a customer, and told them plainly NOT to ever come back.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 11-06-2010, 08:53 PM:

quote: Kurt Zupin
It was just a question, wasn't stating anything. Settle down, I know at some locations(Multiplexs) when theatre hoppers are caught, they may be asked to purchase a ticket. Or Kicked Out. I was just asking how it was handled in the Drive-In setting.

Your comparison works only in the case that your multiplex hoppers were already in the building legally, but went into another auditorium. Technically, that makes the situation similar, especially if the movie is playing.

However, in the case of a drive-in, the ticket is purchased for admission onto the drive-in property. A sneaker is trespassing, once they pass the boxoffice (or climb a fence, or come in a back gate).

As regards an indoor cinema, a closer comparison would be someone entering the auditorium from a back exit, intentionally bypassing the boxoffice altogether. You could handle that situation much the same as a drive-in operator would.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 11-07-2010, 10:22 AM:

...but, Jack...

It WAS still just a question -- and a question for Barry...

...and I had the same question too, which automatically means it's a fair question to ask.

(and you KNOW this) [Big Grin]

Posted by Burleigh Ibbott (Member # 3917) on 11-10-2010, 04:48 AM:

Many thanks Jack for your insite as you probally know we dont have any permanment Drive In cinemas in the UK. There have been a few seasonal ones or special events.
Just a thought what is the general policy on bad weather. Do patrons stay and watch the film with their engines on?

Many thanks

Burleigh

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 11-10-2010, 09:35 AM:

quote: Manny Knowles
...but, Jack...

It WAS still just a question -- and a question for Barry...

...and I had the same question too, which automatically means it's a fair question to ask.

(and you KNOW this)

Not sure what your point is, Manny... though it appears on reflection I've given the impression I'm picking on Kurt. I'm not. It's just one of the relative hot-button issues we face at these places.

I would say that, on balance, owners probably take a harder line on this problem than managers, who either don't have a direct dog in the fight or haven't been given specific authority to go as far as we can. I think we tend to see the issue as a more direct problem, similar to shoplifting, even if the product is an intangible.

In any case, if you don't do something that encourages the person, and maybe his friends to think very hard before trying it again, I think you risk perpetuating a game which, if you're as busy taking care of legitimate customers as we are, you just don't have time to mess with.

Anyway... my appologies if I came off a little harsh on this one.

[Big Grin]