The price of foods at Movie Theater concession stands should be illegal...

I usually buy the soda from a nearby super-market and sneak it into the theatre.

I do buy the pop-corn though most of the times.

Teenaged

I have my friends buy stuff and then eat it.

Seriously. For as long as I've been going to the movies lately the prices have been astronomical. How is that this is allowed while the price of movie tickets continues to go up? Is a trip to the movies always suppsoed to leave a dent in your wallet? Or should it be an affordable good time. Im surprised theaters are allowed to do this and one complains about it at all.

KrunkMastaX

Sometimes I buy stuff ... it's expensive but hey.. it's there.SolidSnake35

I always buy a large soda and popcorn at the theater because A: I'm not a tightwad, B: that's how the theater makes its money and I like movie theaters and want to see them stick around, and C: to me it's as much a part of the experience as the movie itself is.

Which is why I have always and will continue to always bring my own food in just as I do to themeparks.

Really, movie concession stand prices are nothing compared to the prices of food in some big theme parks. Churro for 4 dollars. Five dollars for an ice cream BAR (prepacked stuff. Not a handscooped cone). upwards of 9 dollars for a turkey leg.

And thats for the little stands littered throughout a park. If you want to dine in a resturaunt at an amusement park, you're going to be paying near 4 star resturaunt prices for below-mcdonalds level food.

I always buy a large soda and popcorn at the theater because A: I'm not a tightwad, B: that's how the theater makes its money and I like movie theaters and want to see them stick around, and C: to me it's as much a part of the experience as the movie itself is.

worlock77

I don't think tightwad is a fair word. You'd be a tight wad if the food was reasonably priced. 7 dollars for popcorn that probably cost them maybe 50 cents to make? No. They can go to hell.

Thats ontop of the near 15 dollar movie ticket. You need to near take out a loan from the bank to go to the movies these days.

I usually eat before I got the theaters because it's crazy that I have to pay $5+ for a damn nachos combo. That's why I just sneak food in by putting it in my purse since it's not like they check me. :twisted:

[QUOTE="worlock77"]

I always buy a large soda and popcorn at the theater because A: I'm not a tightwad, B: that's how the theater makes its money and I like movie theaters and want to see them stick around, and C: to me it's as much a part of the experience as the movie itself is.

Pixel-Pirate

I don't think tightwad is a fair word. You'd be a tight wad if the food was reasonably priced. 7 dollars for popcorn that probably cost them maybe 50 cents to make? No. They can go to hell.

Thats ontop of the near 15 dollar movie ticket. You need to near take out a loan from the bank to go to the movies these days.

That the popcorn itself may have costs $0.50 is irrelevant. They have other expenses. They have building upkeep, the have equipment maintainence, they have employees to be paid, they have costs for electricity, water, gas, etc, etc, etc. The studios get most of the money from ticket sales so the theater has the make its money from something else. Consessions are the only other product they offer.

[QUOTE="Pixel-Pirate"]

[QUOTE="worlock77"]

I always buy a large soda and popcorn at the theater because A: I'm not a tightwad, B: that's how the theater makes its money and I like movie theaters and want to see them stick around, and C: to me it's as much a part of the experience as the movie itself is.

worlock77

I don't think tightwad is a fair word. You'd be a tight wad if the food was reasonably priced. 7 dollars for popcorn that probably cost them maybe 50 cents to make? No. They can go to hell.

Thats ontop of the near 15 dollar movie ticket. You need to near take out a loan from the bank to go to the movies these days.

That the popcorn itself may have costs $0.50 is irrelevant. They have other expenses. They have building upkeep, the have equipment maintainence, they have employees to be paid, they have costs for electricity, water, gas, etc, etc, etc. The studios get most of the money from ticket sales so the theater has the make its money from something else. Consessions are the only other product they offer.

Personally, I don't really care.

If they can't negotiate with studios to lower ticket prices and feel a need to charge so much, then I will use my right as a consumer to buy from someone else. Which I do.

[QUOTE="worlock77"]

[QUOTE="Pixel-Pirate"]

I don't think tightwad is a fair word. You'd be a tight wad if the food was reasonably priced. 7 dollars for popcorn that probably cost them maybe 50 cents to make? No. They can go to hell.

Thats ontop of the near 15 dollar movie ticket. You need to near take out a loan from the bank to go to the movies these days.

Pixel-Pirate

That the popcorn itself may have costs $0.50 is irrelevant. They have other expenses. They have building upkeep, the have equipment maintainence, they have employees to be paid, they have costs for electricity, water, gas, etc, etc, etc. The studios get most of the money from ticket sales so the theater has the make its money from something else. Consessions are the only other product they offer.

Personally, I don't really care.

If they can't negotiate with studios to lower ticket prices and feel a need to charge so much, then I will use my right as a consumer to buy from someone else. Which I do.

If the prices bother you that much then wait the three months until the movie comes out on DVD and watch it at home. Personally I think it's pretty assy to purchase food from somewhere else and use the theater's space to eat it in. It's a bit like getting carry-out from Chili's and going into Applebee's to eat it.

I understand they make their money thru concessions but those prices are exactly why I'm a bad person/criminal/whatever and smuggle in food. If their food was cheaper I might actually purchase something. Maybe even 2 somethings. So they'd get my money. But jacking up prices results in me spending nothing. Thank goodness I carry a purse.

Yeah, the prices are crazy, but that's really the only place they make money. Studios can take as much as 95% of the money from ticket sales, so they have to get money from something else. But yes, they're ridiculous.

Example:

When I worked in concessions, our biggest bucket of popcorn was $5 (has gone up since). A bag of popcorn seed cost the theater $5. I'm not sure what the exact ratio would be, but I would guess I bag of seed could have easily filled 40 tubs.

[QUOTE="Pixel-Pirate"]

[QUOTE="worlock77"]

That the popcorn itself may have costs $0.50 is irrelevant. They have other expenses. They have building upkeep, the have equipment maintainence, they have employees to be paid, they have costs for electricity, water, gas, etc, etc, etc. The studios get most of the money from ticket sales so the theater has the make its money from something else. Consessions are the only other product they offer.

worlock77

Personally, I don't really care.

If they can't negotiate with studios to lower ticket prices and feel a need to charge so much, then I will use my right as a consumer to buy from someone else. Which I do.

If the prices bother you that much then wait the three months until the movie comes out on DVD and watch it at home. Personally I think it's pretty assy to purchase food from somewhere else and use the theater's space to eat it in. It's a bit like getting carry-out from Chili's and going into Applebee's to eat it.

Not really the same. The theatre is not a resturaunt, it is a theatre. I'm not using the theatres space to eat it. If I was, they could kick me out as I am just sitting at a table eating. I am using the theatres space to watch a movie, I just happen to be eating something at the same time.

Personally I find it pretty assy to charge +1000% the cost of everything at your stand and almost as much as a DVD for tickets.

If it makes you feel better, I rarely go to the theatres anymore. I just cannot afford 30-40 dollars a visit. Not alot of people can these days.

Also if it harms the theatre so much, they could force you to submit to a search of your bags and anything else you may be carrying before you are allowed to enter.

[QUOTE="worlock77"]

[QUOTE="Pixel-Pirate"]

Personally, I don't really care.

If they can't negotiate with studios to lower ticket prices and feel a need to charge so much, then I will use my right as a consumer to buy from someone else. Which I do.

Pixel-Pirate

If the prices bother you that much then wait the three months until the movie comes out on DVD and watch it at home. Personally I think it's pretty assy to purchase food from somewhere else and use the theater's space to eat it in. It's a bit like getting carry-out from Chili's and going into Applebee's to eat it.

Not really the same. The theatre is not a resturaunt, it is a theatre. I'm not using the theatres space to eat it. If I was, they could kick me out as I am just sitting at a table eating. I am using the theatres space to watch a movie, I just happen to be eating something at the same time.

Personally I find it pretty assy to charge +1000% the cost of everything at your stand and almost as much as a DVD for tickets.

If it makes you feel better, I rarely go to the theatres anymore. I just cannot afford 30-40 dollars a visit. Not alot of people can these days.

You don't seem to understand that there's more than just material cost when it comes to running a business. The popcorn itself may only cost pennies, but they also have to pay someone to make and sell you the popcorn, they have to pay for upkeep on their popcorn machine, they have to pay for the electricity to make the popcorn, and they have to make a little money on top of that. You probably think they can afford to make a little less profit but keep in mind that the biggest, most monolithic companies like Wal-Mart only have a profit margin of around 3%.

They've been pretty bad for a years. That's why I sneak in a few goodies or just eat before hand.

Popcorn is one of the banes of my existence lol. I've been trying to cut weight lately though, so I've been avoiding it and saving a good amount of money in the process.

Learn how to smuggle stuff in.

[QUOTE="Pixel-Pirate"]

[QUOTE="worlock77"]

If the prices bother you that much then wait the three months until the movie comes out on DVD and watch it at home. Personally I think it's pretty assy to purchase food from somewhere else and use the theater's space to eat it in. It's a bit like getting carry-out from Chili's and going into Applebee's to eat it.

worlock77

Not really the same. The theatre is not a resturaunt, it is a theatre. I'm not using the theatres space to eat it. If I was, they could kick me out as I am just sitting at a table eating. I am using the theatres space to watch a movie, I just happen to be eating something at the same time.

Personally I find it pretty assy to charge +1000% the cost of everything at your stand and almost as much as a DVD for tickets.

If it makes you feel better, I rarely go to the theatres anymore. I just cannot afford 30-40 dollars a visit. Not alot of people can these days.

You don't seem to understand that there's more than just material cost when it comes to running a business. The popcorn itself may only cost pennies, but they also have to pay someone to make and sell you the popcorn, they have to pay for upkeep on their popcorn machine, they have to pay for the electricity to make the popcorn, and they have to make a little money on top of that. You probably think they can afford to make a little less profit but keep in mind that the biggest, most monolithic companies like Wal-Mart only have a profit margin of around 3%.

And if they charged a little less, they'd have people like me actually buying something. Which might actually raise profits as you'd decrease people sneaking food in.

And again, they must not be hurting that badly as if they were, they'd make more of an effort to stop people from bringing things in. I.E. Searching people who enter.

I also think a case can be made for people on diets/who cannot eat the food the theatre offers. No theatre I've been to offers low fat or diet food. It's popcorn with 5 pounds of butter, hotdog, or nachos. Neither of which is healthy.

I'll buy the nachos once in a great while even though their usually generic, it makes for a decent snack. I'm not much of a soda drinker or popcorn guy either, if anything I'm smuggle in a granola bar and a Snapple lol

I agree, that's why I smuggle food in. ;)

I don't buy it but making it illegal would be unconstitutional.

That's the entire point. They want to get you there so they can rape you. Movie theaters are not in business to show movies. The movie is the attraction, they want to get you there so you'll pay $4 for afive cent paper cup full of ten cents worth of fountain drink. As well as all of the other overpriced food and snacks. It has ALWAYS been overpriced. twenty years ago it was overpriced.

This is why I smuggle lot's of snacks in with me via a backback or simaler device if I ever go to the cinima.

Ever since I started smuggling in alcohol I ceased to care. Unfortunately it is hard to get good mixers unless a woman has a purse with her.Sajo7

One of the theaters in town used to actually let people bring in food, but they stopped that this year. So, now I just sneak it in. It costs more to buy a small soda than it does my freakin' movie ticket. I can't believe so many idiots actually pay for that crap. They just let the theater get away with highway robbery.

When i first read this topic I just imagined that actually showing the prices to customers was illegal so you go to the movies and purchase food without knowing how much you spent until after. THen, if you try to tell others in line how much it was, some security guard just comes up saying "Hey for safety reasons, that's illegal" and just drags you away...

Describing the offerings at movie theatres as "food" is using the term liberally, I think; "snacks" is more appropriate. Sometimes I will get snacks before going to the theatre. The two I attend most frequently both have a grocery mart right next to them. I stop in there and get some Reesee cups. Then I get the girl I'm going to the movie with to put the cups in her purse. That's why you always go to the movies with a girl. :)

Just bring your own food in.

Just bring your own food in.

Pirate700

I tend not to go to the movie much, due to the cost of food. So I usually make a date out of it, since I can go for a nice steak dinner before hand with would cost the same as some popcorn, candy, and a soda at the theatre. They should really just put in a crap ton of microwaves so we can just bring in our own popcorn... bet more people would go to the movies.

Makes me glad I don't go the movie theaters.

[QUOTE="Pirate700"]

Just bring your own food in.

that is where the movie theather makes there money. it cost like 6 for a movie for day. and cost 8.00 for the night moives.

than its like 3-4 dollars for concesson stand and 2-3 for drinks here. matters on your location

I don't even go to the movies anymore.

Lto_thaG