TIME TO REHAB YOUR CINEMA'S MENU



Sunshine Cinema, NYC offers Vegan Goodies

Exhibitors - want to increase patronage and profits - maybe it's time to rehab your concession menu.

Nothing could ever best popcorn in terms of profitability but maybe enhancing your cinema's menu could add to concession sales while making the movie experience a little different and fill some of those chronically empty seats.  Several cinema's have done just that!  Let's see what they to.

At one end of the spectrum is the Alamo Draft Houses*, the Austin, TX based mini cinema/restaurant chain which offers a movie with a casual dining experience.  Featuring Tex/Mex inspired food and, as their name implies, brews, Alamo's concept has been very successful. Than there is the Fleur Cinema & Cafe in Des Moines, which specializes in baked in the cinema goodies - from Rice Krispie treats to gourmet cupcakes.  Or how about a freshly made stuffed pretzel (beef or cheese) at the reRun Gastropub Theatre in Brooklyn, which also serves up seasoned popcorn (garlic, paprika, or herb salted). Popcorn toppings include fresh drawn, brown, or herb butter, but for a real kick, try the bacon or duck fat.

These food innovations are but several examples of what cinemas need to think about when re-scripting (as I term it) there operations. You need to build your concessions around your demographic, be it vegan cookies or duck fat popcorn topping. Rehabbing and revitalizing the concessions menu is relatively easy and really contributes to the movie going experience.

*In the interest of full disclosure it should be noted that management from the Alamo Draft House attended several of our Cinema Training Central seminars and workshops within the last two years.

 On Beverages in Cinemas

Go to the movies and, with few exceptions, your beverage options are going to be the usual lineup from either Coke or Pepsi and maybe a smoothie or coffee.  Hmmm......but is that what you really want to be selling?  Think about it. The largest demographic for movie attendance is the 16-35 male. And what is this demo drinking?  More and more it's the high priced energy drinks from Monster Beverage, RedBull, Rockstar, and Amp.  Monster, the biggest seller had over $1.3 billion in sales last year, a record. In fact, the entire energy drink industry's sales have been skyrocketing.

Energy drink sales are on a tear

And guess what, their entire market is virtually made up of teens and people in their early 20s, as only 16% of adults over the age 18 have ever consumed an energy drink.

Monster knows its audience

 

Monster's best seller is Monster Energy which comes in 16oz. and larger cans. They also sell the Rehab which includes the superconcentrated M3 drink and the 17 ounce Ubermonster brew.  Just intro'd -  Java Monster, a coffe drink and Hansen's sparkling water line of beverages.  Its original lines include Hansen's natural soda and Peace Teas iced teas.

Both Pepsi and Coke has been playing catch-up against the much smaller energy boosting rivals.  Although Pepsi acquired energy brands SoBe Adrenaline Rush and SoBe No Fear it hasn't been able to get sales off the dime.  Coke has faired no better with its Full Throttle drink, in fact, the minute Coke put its name on the can sales went down!  Coke and Pepsi just don't cut it in the young male adults' world.

Now, I'm not saying every cinema start selling energy drinks but it may be a wise item to add to your concession menu particularly if your patrons include a large number of teens and 20 somethings. If  nothing else, selling energy drinks would demonstrate your cinema is trendy and with-it, and you may be able to strike a "sweet"  deal as expansion into cinemas, for these beverage makers, is a great market fit.

Best and Happy Movie Going!
Jim Lavorato