What you didn't know about movie theater food
Movie theater food got its start when American entertainment was forever changed by the arrival of Nickelodeon theaters. In the days of vaudeville acts and live stage performances a theater dedicated to playing movies on film became a new venture and soon a worthy competitor. It didn't take long for the movie theater concept to take hold and by 1907 there were about 3,000 theaters opened. Nearly 27% of those with access were visiting these theaters once a week. Movie theater food was the logical next step to cement the entertainment value of the whole movie-going experience.
Theater concessions didn't automatically get its start in the theater lobby. It garnered a place on the sidewalks and areas surrounding the theater in vending carts and separate storefronts. Much like sports events, vendors hawked peanuts and popcorn up and down the aisle of the theater. As a beloved treat that had been around since the 1840's at county fairs and carnivals, popcorn was a huge hit in theaters with its enticing aroma.
Theater owners, at first felt that the chomping of snacks in their theater would take away from the upscale image they were trying to project. With the expense of building a theater, they also weren't interested the popcorn kernels and candy wrapped littering their posh investments. It took a transition of almost two decades for theater owners to come to terms with how lucrative movie theater food concessions could be.
Theater builders came to terms with the popularity of concessions and soon capitalized on incorporating the candy counter into their architectural designs of humble neighborhood theaters. Focusing on concessions, the selections expanded to include more than popcorn and peanuts but also chocolates and candy apples. Large scale manufacturing also made it possible to add candy bars to an ever growing list of options.
A minor setback occurred during World War II when sugar was rationed and budgets were tight. This only served to boost the popularity of popcorn which continues, today, to be the No. 1 favorite. When rationing ended along with the War, snack selections rebounded and movie concession grew. Soda flowed as did the Goobers, Junior Mints, Chuckles and Black Crows. Today, about 40% of a theater's revenue comes from these food concessions. Whether you love the salty, buttery flavor of a bucket of popcorn or like the sweet sugary chew of a Twizzler's licorice vine, movie theater food just tastes better. It's the socially accepted practice to enjoy those delights which we might avoid in any other setting.
Now movie theater food is front and center in just about every theater venue as is the upsell for larger sizes, more "gourmet" offerings and specialized local concession items. You can still get the standard fair but now you may have the option for chili-cheese fries, chicken fingers, salads, nachos, hot dogs and even sushi.
Some theaters are looking to capture the more mature movie-goers by offering alcohol, full-service restaurants combined with other amenities.
Believe it or not, the old standbys like popcorn still rule the day. It's the smell of hot buttered popcorn that invades the senses. It's the one place where you can still, without guilt, gorge on your favorite junk food. It's this very food that evokes nostalgic memories of a first date, or a dark theater or a favorite film and keeps us coming back.
About the Author
If you love movies in general then you love a good movie trilogy even more. They exemplify stories where more needs to be told and because sometimes we just don't want them to end. The next time you're eating popcorn, remember your favorite trilogies or learn about them for the first time when you visit http://movietrilogies.com.
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