Real smooth, sneaking into movies that started 2 hours ago.

[Broomjockey]

And free refills!

I can never finish even a medium soda, so free refills are worthless to me.

^-.-^

Which is why free refills are such an ingenious idea. Make it free refills on large only, people perk up at "free", grab the large, and then 75% of people won't get a refill because they don't finish it, and another 15% will be too lazy. Those numbers are random guesses based on picking up theatre trash, but the total of maybe 1 in 10 coming back for a refill is generous in my experience in concessions.

[Kogarashi]

I've rarely smuggled food myself. It was usually at the dollar theater in the town where I went to college, and that was because I was dead broke. I'd pick up my candy at the dollar store in the same plaza and dump it in my tiny backpack. What irked me about that theater was that they actually confiscated my water bottle. The snacks were always insanely priced, too (probably due to it being a dollar theater).

Most other theaters I've gone to, I just make sure to have a snack before I go in, and I'm good until the movie's over.

My favorite theater, though, is the single-screen theater in my parents' hometown. It tends to get movies a few weeks after the big theaters, but sometimes it lucks out and has one close to or even on opening night. It only has one showing a night, at 7:30 (two on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 and 9 unless it's a three-hour movie; then there's only one showing). The movies run for a week before being replaced by the next, unless they're popular like Titanic (3 weeks) or Harry Potter (2 or 3, can't remember). Tickets are $3.50 for adults, $2.50 for kids under 12, and even babies need to have tickets. The theater is owned and run by a family of "hermits" (I've never seen them outside the theater, not even to change the marquee). The owner is not afraid of throwing people out of the theaters. The line for tickets is first-come, first-served, and if you leave the theater after buying your tickets, you forfeit your seat. I actually saw the owner loudly tell off a lady who thought she could wait in line, buy her group's tickets, and then leave to hand them out to her group outside, despite the signs on the door clearly stating you can't do that. The candy is decently-priced, too. $1.50 for a roughly 12-oz. size cup of soda (usually filled to the brim), $1.50 for a box of popcorn, $.60 for a pack of candy like you'd find on the impulse rack at the grocery store. It's the only theater I've gone to where I've consistently patronized the concession stand. Sure, the floors are sticky and the backs of the chairs a bit hard, and it's not stadium seating, but I grew up with it and love it. Plus, the next-closest movie theater to my parents' house is a half-hour drive and costs at least twice as much just to get into the theater (nevermind the concession stand prices).

[Becks]

And free refills!

I love the free refills.

Too bad I seldom go to the movies anymore.

[Andara Bledin]

Which is why free refills are such an ingenious idea. Make it free refills on large only, people perk up at "free", grab the large, and then 75% of people won't get a refill because they don't finish it, and another 15% will be too lazy. Those numbers are random guesses based on picking up theatre trash, but the total of maybe 1 in 10 coming back for a refill is generous in my experience in concessions.

Well, even if everybody came back for refills, it wouldn't hurt their bottom line, much. It costs less than a quarter for a huge cup of soda, and most of that is the cup.

^-.-^

[Broomjockey]

Well, even if everybody came back for refills, it wouldn't hurt their bottom line, much. It costs less than a quarter for a huge cup of soda, and most of that is the cup.

^-.-^

A quarter? Maybe half that. A box of 400 large sized cups cost the company something like $50. Not sure on the prices of the syrup and CO2, but I can't see it being more than a nickel a drink as that tank lasts about a month, and we'd go through maybe three boxes of syrup on a busy night. Popcorn profit margins are even more ridiculous. Weirdly, there's not much margin on topping. Still, the trick for companies is to only have the refill on larges, as they make an extra 25-50 cents depending, for an investment of a few more pennies.

[Jack7957]

And free refills!

I can never finish even a medium soda, so free refills are worthless to me.

If I get a meduim, I end up needing to use the bathroom before the movie is over.

Hoyts, when they were still in the Syracuse area, had a large plastic mug, I think around 40oz, that you could bring back anytime and get free refills. Unfortunalty I never remembered to grab mine when going to the movies.