Beer Coming To Movie Theatres?
 

http://www.webfin.com/en/news/news.html/?id=39521


Beer Coming To Movie Theatres?

Canada (Oct. 03, 2003 - 06:58)

VANCOUVER (CP) -- Canada's largest movie theatre chain wants to sell beer, wine and coolers in its 18 theatres in British Columbia.

Famous Players will begin selling alcohol in its theatres in Edmonton and Calgary later this year after the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission granted licences to the Toronto-based chain.

And the theatre chain wants the B.C. government for a change in liquor laws that would allow alcohol to be sold in theatres throughout the province.

"We'd like it to happen in all of our theatres," Nuria Bronfman, spokeswoman for Famous Players, said Thursday. "We would like to take this project across the country."

Famous Players representatives said they have discussed the issue with the B.C. solicitor general's office in Victoria.

"We're just going through the process in other jurisdictions, including British Columbia, finding out what we have to do," said Bronfman of their efforts to implement change to the alcohol laws in British Columbia.

"We're going to see what it takes and what the process is. We're literally figuring out what we have to do."

Solicitor General Rich Coleman, who is in charge of liquor control and licensing in the province, was unavailable for comment.

"Our regulations prohibit movie theatres from applying for a liquor licence," said Cindy Stephenson of the B.C. Liquor Control and Licensing Branch.

"And we're not contemplating changes to those regulations. The reason for that restriction is that a lot of youth frequent movie theatres."

Famous Players has a liquor license for specially designated lounge areas at its theatres in suburban Langley, B.C., and at one theatre in Montreal and two in Toronto.

The sale of beer and wine is common at movie theatres in Europe and parts of the United States.

Bronfman said Famous Players is aware of the concerns about minors..

"Obviously, we're not going to allow minors to get access to alcohol," she said, noting that alcohol is served at sporting events and restaurants where minors also go.

In Alberta, alcohol will be consumed only in theatre lobbies.

One of the theaters nearby has a beer concession. It's great to be able to watch a movie in a theater while downing a tall, cold beer!!!!

The only way I can get beer in the theater is to bring it with me. And people always look at me funny, as if I'm breaking the law, which I am, but hey...
It's beer!

I believe it's just a matter of time before beer is available in most theaters. Or at least, I hope so.

I think that would suck. I'm already paranoid every time I go to the theatre due to immature or stupid people making lots of noise because they have no sense of respecting others. The last thing I need is a bunch of people who would normally be quiet, but decide against it when they're buzzed.

I would go to the movies much more often if they sold beer and nachos!

we already have a full service bar in the theatre down town. So far, it hasn't caused any problems with loud and obnoxious people. At least any more than before the alcohol. It is way too expensive, but if you get a taste for the brew, it is a pretty sweet deal.

I think I can do without having beer in theatres...

They serve beer at our theatre here, and I got tired of the 18 year olds who couldn't control themselves during Pirates of the Caribbean. It really ruined the movie for myself, my wife, and my girls. The idiots finally got booted about halfway through the movie, but by then the damage had been done.

As far as I'm concerned, anyone who can't go 100 minutes without a drink needs to seriously take a look at themselves...

I stopped going to the theaters a while ago anyway due to all the assclowns that are usually there. And if I do go its a matinee. I enjoy beer as much as the next guy but alcohol in movie theaters is a bad combination IMHO.

Me too! It's about time.....

Here in Belgium, I haven't seen a single theatre that didn't sell beer. It helps that beer can be drunk from the age of 16 upwards, instead of 21, which is obviously moronic.

unless you take into account the mindsets of 16 year olds from different places. whereas european youth seem to have a little wider view of the world around them and their place in it, most (i said most, not all) 16 year old americans are egocentric, overly dramatic little shits who give very little care to anything outside their narrow little box.

beyond that rant, i'm not a drinker in any respect, but we do have a nifty little art theatre where they serve beer and wine, the only catch being that you can't take it into the theatre. it's okay though, the lounge area outside the concession stand is actually quite nice and they keep it stocked with plenty of periodical reading materials and board games to pass the time. this theatre is truly one of my favourite places to go see a movie.

great, a bunch of drunkies yelling at the movie

We have this theater here in Milwaukee called the Rosebud which serves several tap brews of good beer (BASS!!) as well as wine, mixed drinks, pizza, snacks, ben & jerry's, etc. They play mostly indie flicks, and the owner says he will give you your money back out of his own pocket if you don't like any movie they play (strangely he wasn't there last time when I went to Jeepers Creepers 2) Anyway here is the kicker, they don't have regular seats, they have large, plush couches and chairs. If you're ever in town check it out.

I used to go to the movies in Manhattan with beer. We'd take malt liquor forties into the theaters on the upper west side. Don't remember one film I saw but we did have fun...
Ah, my drunken alcoholic youth - where have you gone to!

I agree with you 100%. Now if only they could screw with the signals on cell phones...

With the markup on popcorn and colas, can't wait to see what they charge for a brewski...

Well, one thing is for certain, Britney Spears movies will get higher ratings....

The best theatre I've been to is one in Oakland, CA. Its called the Parkway and they serve pizza and good beer (not bud light). Instead of traditional theatre seats, they have a bunch of couches. Best theatre in Cali.

I completely agree with you. Leave the loud drunken morons in bars, I just want to watch my movie in peace and quiet.

People are going to be loud and obnoxious anyway you look at it, so I might at well get some enjoyment out of a horrid experience with a beer or two.
Where I'm at now, the theater sucks. The movies are months old, the seats are bad, the screen is small, and the projector is too old for any film to look good. But they do serve beer for a dollar a bottle, so I still go :)

I think it would be pretty nice...but I think that the obnoxious people might grow slightly in numbers considering the fact that there will be more idiot alcoholics that show up just to booze it up and be loud asses during a film.

Putting beer in a movie theatre is a horrible idea. Who wants some drunken asshole yelling because the girls werent getting naked, among other things.

Oh great, getting disturbed even more often when people have to get up to piss every 10-20 minutes.

Not to mention that they don't exactly do a spectacular job cleaning the theatre between showings. Nothing like the smell of puke wafting in an enclosed room.

not a good idea......

One time in college we rented out a theater for a midnight showing of the new version of star wars which was just out then. Everyone was pretty drunk, and lots snuck beer in. There is no louder sound than glass bottles falling over and rolling down the concrete floors during a movie. A couple of the dates stole some candy from the otherwise deserted theater, and a few puked in the restroom. Other than that, it was alot of fun, but I wouldn't want that to be the scene whenever I went to the movies.

I'd have to see how it would work on the US populus before I know what to think, however if the business wants it, then it should be able to have it, if it causes problems they'll remove it since it is bad for business then.

VINCENT: Well, in Amsterdam, you can buy beer in a movie theatre. And I don't mean in a paper cup either. They give you a glass of beer, like in a bar. In Paris, you can buy beer at MacDonald's. Also, you know what they call a QuarterPounder with Cheese in Paris?

/pulp fiction

Most indie theaters have beer. It is just the major chains that don't. They think it isn't family friendly. So Chili's isn't family friendly?

Only problem with theaters selling beer is that they will charge 15 bucks for a beer.