# Moviegoers: Do you sneak snacks into the theatre, given the opportunity? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 16, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049 "2009-10-16T16:55:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/21 "2009-10-16T19:21:17Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > That sounds bizarre. If I’m going to pay that much, it’s for play tickets, not cinema tickets. Hell, there’s not even a formal dress code for Broadway shows anymore. I think it was a status thing for a lot of people. They wanted to be seen by all the right people, be the first on their block to see the fancy schmancy new film, etc. At least that’s the impression I got. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/22 "2009-10-16T19:29:31Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > I have wondered many times why more movie theaters don’t sell alcohol. Seems like it would be a pretty high profit-margin item (especially things like draft beer), and I’m betting it would sell well. There are two theaters near me that sell alcohol. One sells local beer, and some wine at decent prices, the other has a small bar that’s usually open in the evenings, which also sometimes sells specialty drinks themed to the movies they’re showing. I saw the Sex and the City movie there, and they were selling Cosmos. As much as I love a good drink, I haven’t taken much advantage of this, though. I hate leaving the theater in the middle of the movie, and drinking any sort of alcohol pretty much guarantees I’ll have to leave at least twice. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/23 "2009-10-16T19:29:37Z")
I usually bring in some sort of treat, but also buy popcorn. Brought in a pint of Ben & Jerry’s once. That attacted a few thumbs up from other people in my row. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/24 "2009-10-16T19:36:49Z")
We snuck beer into RHPS one time. But, since we have [Alamo Drafthouse](http://www.drafthouse.com/) here now, there is no need to sneak anything in. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/25 "2009-10-16T20:05:26Z")
I’ll usually bring a Vitamin Water & some kind of snack that I bought on the way there, like a donut or sandwich from Tim Horton’s, or Cinnabon sticks or something from Starbucks. I hardly consider it “sneaking in food,” because I just carry it in my hand in the bag I bought it in. No one has ever gave any kind of indication that that’s not OK. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/26 "2009-10-16T20:08:59Z")
Not usually, but on Saturday when we went to see Zombieland we snuck in Shock Tarts and a bottle of Coke. There was a guy sitting on front of us that opened a can of soda in the theatre, that was a distinctive sound! ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/27 "2009-10-16T20:18:27Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > I have wondered many times why more movie theaters don’t sell alcohol. Seems like it would be a pretty high profit-margin item (especially things like draft beer), and I’m betting it would sell well. > > Another business model I’d like to see emulated more for movie theaters: ones that sell _real_ food, like with a waiter and everything. Come to Mexico City! I’m in love with going to the cinema again. Back home, I can’t stand it. Crowds, nasty people, sticky floors, crappy food. Down here the conditions are generally much the same as in Michigan… unless you go to the VIP version of the Cinepolis chain. Sure, the tickets are $115 pesos, and although it’s more than twice the price of the regular cinema, it’s still cheaper than crappy US cinemas. There’s a classy bar and snack room with tables in the waiting area, and a nice lounge. The occupancy of the theater itself is only about 50, and all of the chairs are huge, plush, leather-like things with table lamps, waiter call buttons, and the chairs recline and have foot rests. If you go with your wife like I do, most of the chairs are actually love seats, which is nice. The waiters will bring you normal cinema fare – popcorn (flavored, too!), hot dogs, nachos, candy, soda-pop – but also the good stuff, like mixed drinks, beer, really, really excellent baguette sandwhiches, and other, better stuff. Want to use a credit card? No problem, the waiters have portable credit card machines with them. I think that until I got here, that last movie I bothered to see at a cinema was “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” I’d rather pirate the movies I see than go to a regular cinema. If I were back home in Michigan and could see a movie in the same circumstances for just over double the normal rate, I figured that’d be about $25 per ticket. I think most Americans would reject that, but for a night out with my wife and this type of excellent experience, I’d gladly pay it. Compare the price to other types of nights out, and you’ll see that it’s not that bad. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/28 "2009-10-16T20:19:21Z")
I don’t usually eat while at the movies, but if I do it will be at our local thaater, wehre they run second-run movies for 3 bucks, and popcorn and pop are sold in consumable quantities rather than by Costco-sized dispensers. And they are more reasonably priced, too. If I do decide I want something to eat at a regular theater, I would definitely sneak things in. I don’t care what the hell thier business model is, I am not subjecting myself to their insane pricing. If I didn’t bring my own snack, I would do without, so it doesn’t really cost them anything in terms of revenue. ---
**Author:** ![Sudo\_Intellectual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sudo\_Intellectual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudo_Intellectual)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/29 "2009-10-16T20:35:41Z")
I bring in snacks, but mostly things they don’t sell in the theater. My favorite Movie Theater Snack are Sweet Tarts and for some reason, the local theaters stopped carrying them. I almost always buy a soda, and will occasionally shell out for popcorn. My regular date has a Nachos addiction and I can’t imagine those would be easy to sneak in if you didn’t want to pay their prices. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/30 "2009-10-16T20:36:29Z")
I usually don’t snack at all. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/31 "2009-10-16T20:44:45Z")
My answer depends on where I’m seeing the movie. My two most frequent venues are a drive-in and a second run house with clearly posted policies regarding outside food and drink. I believe that they lose money on the movie part and only profit from the concessions. I want them both to stay in business so there I slavishly follow the rules. On the rare occasions that we go to the GigantoPlex I’m not above having a bag of trail mix in my coat pocket. I don’t go and buy something we could get there somewhere else. We do buy popcorn though, so I rationalize to myself that we’re only bending a rule, not breaking it. My sister’s local plex has a Nathan’s as part of the concession area. Cheese fries aren’t a bad movie snack! ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/32 "2009-10-16T20:55:03Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Down here the conditions are generally much the same as in Michigan… unless you go to the VIP version of the Cinepolis chain. Sure, the tickets are $115 pesos, and although it’s more than twice the price of the regular cinema, it’s still cheaper than crappy US cinemas. There’s a classy bar and snack room with tables in the waiting area, and a nice lounge. The occupancy of the theater itself is only about 50, and all of the chairs are huge, plush, leather-like things with table lamps, waiter call buttons, and the chairs recline and have foot rests. If you go with your wife like I do, most of the chairs are actually love seats, which is nice. The waiters will bring you normal cinema fare – popcorn (flavored, too!), hot dogs, nachos, candy, soda-pop – but also the good stuff, like mixed drinks, beer, really, really excellent baguette sandwhiches, and other, better stuff. Want to use a credit card? No problem, the waiters have portable credit card machines with them. Wow, that sounds _great_! Well, except the part about going with my wife, since I’m a happily hetero girl-type person! 😉 > [@](#): > > I think that until I got here, that last movie I bothered to see at a cinema was “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” I’d rather pirate the movies I see than go to a regular cinema. If I were back home in Michigan and could see a movie in the same circumstances for just over double the normal rate, I figured that’d be about $25 per ticket. I think most Americans would reject that, but for a night out with my wife and this type of excellent experience, I’d gladly pay it. Compare the price to other types of nights out, and you’ll see that it’s not that bad. If my hubby and I could find a movie theater like that, we’d _totally_ shell out the money! It’s not that we mind spending money on a decent date night. It’s that we resent being ‘robbed’ by the concession stand! If the concession stand’s prices were, say, 50% higher than what you’d pay for the same candy/junk food in the local super-mart, I’d pay it. But it’s more like 4X the price. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/33 "2009-10-16T21:22:33Z")
Only when it’s one of those ginormous four-hour movies like LOTR. And only because I can’t eat all that sugary or carby stuff they sell. During _Fellowship of the Ring_, I snuck in swiss cheese sandwiches on whole wheat bread, wrapped in quiet Saran wrap. They were good - and quiet. ---
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/34 "2009-10-16T21:31:27Z")
I get a craving for what I call “plastic movie nachos” so I will generally buy those and a soda from the concession stand…but if I think about it, I’ll buy a giant box of Nerds somewhere else beforehand. Or Reeses Peanut Butter pieces, which go really well with popcorn. Last time I was at the movies, the tickets were $18 and the concession total was $21.50. Two sodas, a popcorn, and nachos. I get the whole “theaters make their money off concessions” thing, but Christ! And the nacho chips were horribly stale and tasted like damp cardboard… ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/35 "2009-10-16T21:40:18Z")
I will sneak in a small bottle of water and a few snacks in my purse. I won’t pay what they charge at the concession stand, and their popcorn is stale. I once sneaked a sack lunch for three into a theater. It was fine except for the cold cans of soda that I had against me under my jacket. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/36 "2009-10-16T22:25:40Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > If my hubby and I could find a movie theater like that, we’d _totally_ shell out the money! It’s not that we mind spending money on a decent date night. It’s that we resent being ‘robbed’ by the concession stand! If the concession stand’s prices were, say, 50% higher than what you’d pay for the same candy/junk food in the local super-mart, I’d pay it. But it’s more like 4X the price. Well, I don’t recall how much most of the food is. It didn’t seem unreasonable. Maybe $80 pesos for a good sized ham and cheese baguette. Okay, not as cheap as a torta on the street. I’m absolutely sure of the price of Negra Modelo, though (my favorite beer): $25 pesos per bottle, which is right in line with restaurants and bars, and cheaper than many. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/37 "2009-10-16T22:32:53Z")
I sneak in stuff whenever I think I’ll be hungry during the movie and remember to. I’d have to pay $20 for a bag of gummi bears big enough to last me two hours and change of film. ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/38 "2009-10-16T22:50:13Z")
I picked “Yes, if the thought occurs to me” but only because previous posters defined booze as a snack. As far as food and drink goes I just get popcorn and a coke if I get anything at all, and I can’t really fit either of those in my pockets. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/39 "2009-10-16T22:53:44Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I slavishly follow the rules. Paying $345845 for popcorn and a drink is part of the movie-going experience for me. > > OK, so I’m a little weird. No, you’re \*very \*weird. Now, paying $345845 for the 1 oz box of M&M’s, that’s a little weird. hh ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049/40 "2009-10-16T23:47:59Z")
I don’t like to eat in the theater, but I’d have no objection to sneaking in a snack if I did want to. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moviegoers-do-you-sneak-snacks-into-the-theatre-given-the-opportunity/514049.md?page=3)