Movie Theaters Go Gourmet

Dinner and a movie? How about dinner at the movies? Many moviegoers aren’t stopping at the concession stand before the show begins, theaters find, so they’re trying a new tactic: serving full-fledged meals at viewers’ seats. At an AMC in Kansas City, for instance, viewers can reserve luxury seats with tables between them, NPR reports. When they’re ready to order, moviegoers press a button to call the waiter.

Is it annoying to have a waiter milling around while you’re watching a movie? “Some people ... when you try to go to talk to them they try to shoo you away a little bit,” says one server. “But usually I try to walk pretty fast.” A food critic says the food is similar to Applebee’s—no surprise, since an Applebee’s chef is involved—and it’s pretty good, too. But popcorn lovers need not fear. “I recently had someone tell me whatever you do, never change the popcorn,” says an AMC exec. He won’t. (More AMC stories.)