Service: Movie Theatre
What I bought: Hotdog with nothing on it
Cost: $4.00
ID:182398
 Jul 17 2008, 9:00 am
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Jul 17 2008, 9:10 am
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Foomer
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Duh! Of course you were ripped off. Never buy food at theaters, always sneak it in.
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The question is: Do you want to eat a hot dog during the movie? If yes, then you weren't ripped off. You'd pay about the same eating a hot dog at a baseball game, but I pay it because it's part of the experience and I enjoy the hot dog. If you had another way to get a hot dog in, that might do. For instance in my local mall there's an Auntie Anne's pretzel place at one end and they sell a pretzel dog that you could probably sneak into a theater if you're wearing a heavy coat or your girlfriend carries a purse. In practice you aren't gonna pay a whole lot less for it, though it's mighty tasty.
I usually don't worry about it anymore and just pay concession-stand prices. However, I make an exception for candy because the candy selection is far more limited there, and you can get just the kind you want fairly cheaply, plus it's easier to bring in. Back when the local theater chain sold Spree in bulk, I was content to just buy it from them, but they don't do that anymore. The bottom line, though, is that only you can decide what you're comfortable spending. If you go to the movies and treat it as a fun time out, spending the extra money on concessions may be worth it to you. If you just want to see the movie and want to save some bucks beyond the ticket price, forgo the treats or (when possible) bring them in from elsewhere. Of course don't go overboard--I once saw a family bring in an entire fast-food takeout meal into the theater with them, which is not only classless but annoying due to the crinkling wrappers, so don't ever be one of those people. Lummox JR | |
What I've always found interesting is that the SilverCity in Coquitlam actually includes a full food court, including a New York Fries, Quizno's, Taco Bell, and a few others. They give you little cardboard trays so you can take the order with you into your cinema room if you want.
In any case, smuggling food into theatres is a mixed bag, morally speaking. Theatres make only about half (or slightly less than half) of their money from ticket prices, with the remainder coming from concession. Because both are expensive and disproportionate to the fair market value, theatres do make a fair amount of money, but their profit margins are smaller than most people realise (particularly private theatres that aren't part of the Paramount/Cineplex conglomerate, which have to buy the film reels and box office privileges themselves instead of having the corporation cover that). Nevertheless, I tend to smuggle little things into the theatre, since it's a matter of fair pricing; if a product is cheaper somewhere else, I'll buy it from that elsewhere. Usually I'm content with a pack of Twizzlers' Nibs or a box of Mike 'n' Ikes. | |