Alcohol in the Theatre
A theatre is being renovated here in Winnipeg, and once the renovations are complete, patrons will be able to buy alcohol. Not every screen will be licensed, and presumably the licensed theatres will only be available to those who are 18 or older.
I’m generally in favour of this, but there are a few concerns. There is a certain demographic that tends to become very rowdy when they’re inebriated, and it’s hard enough to keep theatre patrons quiet as it is. I wouldn’t want to be watching a movie with a rowdy, obnoxious drunk in front of me. But I don’t think it will be much of an issue. In nearly all cases, I would think that people would sooner choose to drink to excess at a bar or sporting event. Being drunk in an environment where you’re expected to be silent can’t be fun. I imagine the primary demographic will be mature, professional individuals who simply want to enjoy a drink or two while they watch a movie. I’d certainly purchase a drink to enjoy while I see a movie.
In order to limit the risk of “buffoonery”, I can’t help but wonder if the theatre will close down the bar once a screening starts. I think it’d be wise to do that, personally. That way, you wouldn’t be getting drunk people leaving the theatre (and disrupting others) in order to get another drink. If there are only two or three licensed screens, it would be fairly easy to time the screenings so they’re close together; allowing people to buy drinks before their movie starts.
Price
I can’t imagine how much a drink would cost at a theatre. As it is, prices are badly inflated. I pay over $10 for a small popcorn and a regular Coke at the theatre. If an alcoholic drink is double the cost of a regular Coke, then you’d be paying about $8 for a drink. That’s pretty ridiculous! It would be very expensive to drink to excess at a theatre, which is another reason why I think it is more likely the demographic will be skewed towards more casual drinkers.
Dinner and a movie
I’d be more interested to see a theatre here in Winnipeg offer quality meals that can be enjoyed during a movie. Such a theatre could also be licensed, and it could cater to an adult demographic. As much as I love popcorn when I go to the movies, it’s not really a suitable dinner! I’d love to be able to enjoy a delicious meal in front of the big screen.
How do licensed theatres work near you, if there is one?
This is SO common here in Portland, mainly for the small independent cinemas! The McMenamins brothers are infamous in the Pacific Northwest for renovating old buildings and opening hotels, restaurants, and movie theatres, all of which serve alcohol. The old Hollywood, built in 1926, which is located directly behind me, just started serving alcohol. My experience has been very good. Most places do not put a restriction on age for showings. Some evening showings are restricted, but not all the time. Additionally, I have not had any issues with people getting rowdy and such, mostly because people only purchase one drink prior to the film and they stick with that, they do not leave in the middle to get another drink, and thus do not become drunk during the screening. And for the most part, since these are independent cinemas, where all food and beverage is still a decent price, the alcohol isn’t marked up too high. With respects to food, many of the McMenamins locations also serve pizza and other dishes, and inside the theatre, every other row has been removed and tables have been installed. I have found an increase in patronage to the cinemas that serve alcohol. The Hollywood was fairly dead and had few people, but since the addition of alcohol, more people are coming. Portland just loves its booze.
@Janey
That’s awesome! We only have one truly independent cinema here and it’s not the one that’s going to be serving alcohol. I wish we had more independent cinemas because they have such a beautiful character to them. And, as you said, the mark up on food isn’t too bad.
I figured most people would just buy the one drink to nurse throughout the movie. It’s too hard to get up during a movie because there are no longer intermissions! Sporting events are heavy drinking events here because people always buy a drink or two during the intermissions.
I would love it if a theatre here set up tables! One theatre I visit regularly serves fast food in addition to regular theatre food, and it’s always so difficult to eat fries or a chicken burger on my lap. That’s why I usually just buy popcorn.