Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Cupholder trays

This is topic Cupholder trays in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Paul Looker (Member # 5420) on 06-05-2012, 05:32 PM:

Does anyone out there have any experience with these? They are trays that actually fit into your seats cupholder and add a spot for an extra drink and can hold popcorn, candy etc. I used to see them advertised in show time magazine and I was wondering if anybody had any thoughts on them and also if anybody knows who sells them because they haven't been advertising in showtime lately. Thanks in advance fOr your help folks.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-05-2012, 06:08 PM:

We picked up a couple of samples at CinemaCon last year and would like to put them in, but they haven't risen to the top of our "wish list" yet. They work well....fig snugly into the cupholder and hold a whole lot of stuff. You can generally get them in smaller and larger sizes.

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 06-05-2012, 06:57 PM:

Doesn't stuff like that make your place look trashy for the "second show"? If the junk is on the floor, it's more-or-less hidden, but if it's front and center on a tray....? Who wants to sit an an un-bussed restaurant table?

Posted by Paul Looker (Member # 5420) on 06-05-2012, 08:27 PM:

Frank, we clean in between shows. Mike, any idea on who sells them or who I could contact for some samples of my own?

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-05-2012, 08:41 PM:

Paul - the samples we got were from Cy Young Industries. If you contact them with the make and model of your seats, they'll send you samples. Here's a website:

Cy Young Industries

We clean between shows too. I can't imagine leaving cups'n'stuff on the floor for the late crowd. It would actually be easier if we had the trays, I think...although the trays would give us yet another thing to keep clean!

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 06-05-2012, 09:35 PM:

You always have time to clean between shows? I rarely do. People are generally coming for the second show very shortly after the first show is out (and sometimes before) and there's just no opportunity to get into the auditorium.

If I do have time I try to pick up as much of the trash as possible, but I almost never manage to do any sweeping and there has never been time to do any mopping. Not that I would want to do that without time for the floor to dry. I would rather have it a bit sticky than slippery.

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 06-05-2012, 10:23 PM:

You surprise me Frank. I've never heard that before. I've worked both for Regal and CineMark. Both had ushers who entered the auditorium to clean after each show and the next audience was no allowed in until the staff was done. it usually took about ten minutes. I would think the customers would prefer to have it clean.

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 06-05-2012, 10:37 PM:

Ushers? What ushers? There is usually just me and my wife here, sometimes just me by myself.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-06-2012, 12:51 AM:

Well the way we do it is, as soon as the crowd is all out, the concession kid(s) go pick up the big pieces of trash. If we're really crowded, my wife will help them (and I will too, if I don't have anything else going on). This takes about 2 or 3 minutes and can usually be done while the end credits are rolling, unless people are sitting there watching -- in which case we wait till they leave.

Then while we sell tickets for the late show, one concession kid works the stand while the other one takes care of any big popcorn spills or other disasters in the auditorium. We don't try to get every single kernel but we try to make it look good.

If there are major spills (fairly uncommon due to the cupholders), I mop them up while my wife sells tickets. I don't mind if the late-show people see me mopping when they come in...I think anytime the crowd sees the owner doing some grunt work, it's good for business.

If the movie is a real popular one I just schedule at least 15 or 20 minutes between shows to give us time to do the cleaning.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 06-06-2012, 01:27 AM:

quote: Frank Cox
People are generally coming for the second show very shortly after the first show is out (and sometimes before) and there's just no opportunity to get into the auditorium.

I've found asking them to wait while you make sure the room is clean to work...

Posted by Melanie Loggins (Member # 6454) on 06-06-2012, 02:09 PM:

Frank, I swear I'm not trying to be a smart-ass, but if you're scheduling the shows, can't you just give yourself an extra 15 minutes between the end of the first show and time to sell tickets for the second? I always give myself at least 15 minutes, 20 or 30 after kid shows that I know will destroy the theatre floor.

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 06-06-2012, 03:36 PM:

Extra time between shows doesn't do much other than just making the second show start later. If it's not busy there is time for me to get in and do a quick pick-up between shows while keeping an ear out for the slam of the front door, so it doesn't matter. Busy shows, though, usually have people coming in to buy their tickets and popcorn before the first show is over. By the time the first show crowd has finished yakking, going to the bathroom, calling Mom for a ride and so on, there are quite a few people here for the second show. And what do I do with them? Throw everyone back out on the sidewalk and lock the door for ten minutes so I can pick up trash?

Admittedly, I could probably avoid this by scheduling 45 minutes to an hour of downtime between shows, but once again: who wants to do that? I usually try to have at least fifteen minutes between shows if I can, but I'll live with ten minutes if I'm not expecting it to be really busy. Less than ten minutes doesn't give the first show crowd time to clear out.

Between-shows-cleanup has never been an issue here. If I have time to pick up between shows I do so. Otherwise, not. I actually get regular compliments from people (especially out-of-towners) on how clean my theatre is; some people apparently come here instead of going to a theatre that's closer to them simply because of that.

Posted by Michael Putlack (Member # 6523) on 06-06-2012, 04:23 PM:

Frank, what we do is on busy nights we just ask folks when we sell them their tickets to wait to enter the auditorium until we make an announcement that it is open. This works a vast majority of the time.

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 06-06-2012, 04:25 PM:

Actually FWIW when I worked as an IA operator there were houses that ran continually from noon to midnight without any breaks. The only time there was a brief intermission was when we got ahead of the schedule made up by management.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-06-2012, 04:38 PM:

I guess our smallish lobby is a sort of advantage here...we don't have room for people to wait inside, and if we did allow it, they'd be standing around talking which is audible in the auditorium. So, as a rule we don't allow people to wait inside and we don't sell tickets to the late show until the early crowd is 100% out.

Posted by Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 06-06-2012, 04:44 PM:

We do the same thing as Mike, even though our lobby is 1000 sq. ft. We always do a 99% cleanup including sweeping and mopping between shows and we only schedule 25-35 minutes between shows. I lock the front door when the show is over, and unlock it to sell tickets for the late show after cleaning, no advance tickets are sold.

btw, I think I should find a new avatar picture someday to put on here, i am 30 now and put that picture up when I first signed up at 18. [Wink]

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 06-06-2012, 05:08 PM:

Making folks wait outside probably wouldn't be too popular here on a winter evening when it's -50 degrees plus windchill.

Posted by Caleb Johnstone-Cowan (Member # 3710) on 06-06-2012, 06:32 PM:

We couldn't get away without cleaning time here in the UK, you need at least 20 minutes to turn a screen round during a busy period, and when it's quieter a longer turn-round lets one or two floor staff get round all the screens in a complex quite easily.

Posted by Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 06-06-2012, 07:35 PM:

True Frank, I rarely do late shows in the winter as they never seem to perform in this tourist area. I don't see it any worse though than the people waiting outside the door for us to open for the evening though.

I do believe that we are the exception rather than the rule though as other small theatre owners I've spoken to don't clean at all except popcorn buckets and have a cleaning crew come in the morning. I couldn't sleep knowing that my theatre was dirty.

Posted by Melanie Loggins (Member # 6454) on 06-07-2012, 10:46 AM:

Our policy is, tickets go on sale/doors open 30 minutes before the show starts. With rare exceptions, no advance tickets. On nights when we have a second show, the second show starts 45 minutes to an hour after the first one ends. 15-30 minutes of cleaning time, then 30 minutes to sell tickets and concessions. That even gives us time to spot-mop if we need to. Since we only have 4-6 shows a weekend, our schedule can be flexible like that.