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1. The smell and sight of popcorn being freshly popped.

2. Combo "deals" on drinks and popcorn, or for upsizing.

3. Short lines at the concession stand. Convenient vending machines if I don't want to wait in line.

4. Cheerful, attentive staff who engage customers in conversation (e.g. "What movie are you seeing tonight? Oh, that's a good one, but it's long --- would you like a larger popcorn to last through the movie?")

5. Name brand packaged candies at prices low enough to encourage purchase, rather than trying to sneak them in.

6. Cleanliness and proper food handling procedures.

I'm not a fan of the free refills, as I would have to leave the auditorium to take advantage. I prefer a larger size upfront.

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

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Personally, neither Ian or I like upselling (example: "for a quarter more you can get the gargantuan popcorn or soda) and we discourage it with our staff. We strongly encourage suggestive selling (ie. suggesting another complementary item such as a coke with popcorn a cookie with coffee or tea) and encourage each staff member to develop their own style of suggestive selling so that it comes across as friendly and conversational rather than something that they are forced to say.

Combo deals are good. Our jr. combo (kiddie popcorn and kiddie soda) helped our per cap. We don't do free refills on any size. This is because we discovered that many customers will save their bag and bring it back for their refill on the next visit which does nothing to help your per cap. Also in some states, if you have the sensorhead soda fountains with the long rods that sense the foam, you can't do refills. The theory being, I guess, that the patron might have touched their lips to the lip of the cup (never mind that its got a lid and straw). So, if you want to do soda refills be sure to check with your local and state health codes.

Of course, kids films are a great way to boost that ol' per cap too.

I hate it when I actually want concessions and there is only one person working the concession stand and there are 6 or 7 people in line. Typically, in that case, I say "Forget it." The key to running a good concession area is to have enough people working to handle the number of customers and be able to do the transactions quickly.

It is possible to calculate the number of servers needed to serve a given influx of customers based on how fast the servers are per transaction. This is an "operations research" area (specifically, "queueing theory") and there are many textbooks which describe those types of problems. Any business that is going to serve a large number of customers should perform those calculations and model the situation based on expected customers for any given time of day to do a sanity check to be sure their facility and staffing level will be able to handle demand.

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Evans A Criswell
Huntsville-Decatur Movie Theatre Info Site

In this area, Marcus is fastest, followed by AMC, with the faux-Cinemark theatres coming in last by far. I've been to one Cinemark where there was NO ONE at the concession counter.

BUT, at the local singleplex, with a manager you can talk with and order beer and pizza, I ALWAYS order food, as I know the money will go to improve the business. The owner here really cares, and does his best to provide good service. (The theatre is STUDIO 35, and the owner is John Conti.)

Short lines (as others have said) are also a big deal, as are speedy employees. This can be helped somewhat if the prices on the signs include tax and end in even dollar amounts or multiples of $.10 or something like that. Keeping the selection of items limited is also helpful here.

Non-outrageous prices are also important. I know too well that theatres depend on the stand for much of their profit, but $2.50 for a lousy candy bar is insane.

I agree that "free refills" are basically useless, although they're probably a nice scam, since almost no one uses them.

The smell of fresh popcorn is in the air, but on the customer's last visit did they get stale corn in their bag?

Was the corn they got crunched up into little tiny pieces because the concessionist "over-handled" the corn or did that incredibly stupid "mashing/patting" it down to cram it into the warmer bin? No one likes tiny popcorn kernels.

Was the corn over salty because someone thought they could scam the customer into buying a larger drink? (I personally am a salt freak, but these people need to realize that doing that is irritating to many customers and they will never buy popcorn at that theater again...even if they have only one instance of this!) Something very important to remember that many people just don't seem to understand is that as the day progresses, the concessionist should not put as much salt into the kettle with the corn as he/she should on the first several rounds for consistency. On the other hand, make sure that the concessionists ARE pre-salting the kernels a little bit, for popping without salt under the idea of "the customer will add salt later if he/she wants" does NOT work! It will kill the flavor.

Spend a couple of hours at the popper yourself and experiment with what makes the best popcorn. Try variations of just how much kernels to scoop into the cup and if you have the knowledge, tweek the oil pump. (Of course you should know precisely how much oil "should" be coming out per batch so you can put it back if you make things worse.) Your situation may find that if you fill the kernel cup 1/2 of an inch from the top and increase the oil pump by an extra second that your finished corn will pop larger and FAR more tasty than using the "specs" outlined with the kettle and oil pump. Each popper is a little bit different, but believe me I had LOTS of people who would come by the theater a few times a week and purchase a large bucket of popcorn to go along with their video rental...just because the popcorn was that damned good! I guarantee you that it did not taste that good when everything was set to "spec". Obviously, experimentation with your specific popper is the key.

When a customer askes for butter, regardless of whether it is "real" butter or not, do your concessionists put two little squirts on the top of the stack and pass it over to the customer, or do they "layer" the butter in between scoops? Generally if customers want the topping, they want it throughout. They should not have to ask and I have received many a compliment by having my staff do this automatically. Some people do not like to ask and seriously appreciate the extra effort.

Is the popcorn tossed into the bucket/bag and then handed to the customer, or does the concessionist "shake/tap the bottom of the bucket" during the filling? Some customers are smart enough to realize that as soon as the bucket is slid down the counter that the corn will settle and feel cheated. Other customers don't realize it until they see you do it, but ALL appreciate it.

Is the corn mounded above the top of the bucket/bag a little bit? Some theaters have a policy of not permitting a "mounded" portion of corn to be served for fear it will spill and waste employee payroll time to sweep up the spilled corn, but a bucket/bag of popcorn that is "leveled" just doesn't look like the picture on the price board. Anyone remember the movie "Falling Down"? People like to get what they see. In short, throw it away if the final product does not meet quality standards. Popcorn is super cheap!

Ok, now on to drinks. This is my biggest pet peeve. The next time the Coke or Pepsi service guys come out to your theater MAKE them give you a "brixing kit" for your machines. Do not accept no for an answer. Tell them you will switch to the other evil beverage supplier if they refuse. (This always works.) Then once they leave, brix the damn machines yourself! There is nothing worse at the concession stand than a shitty Coke. Brixing is super easy, but again you do not want to do it just exactly "to spec". Cokes are miraculously close to perfection when careful brixing is performed, but I have never seen a Coke or Pepsi tech tweek them quite to perfection. Utilize at least 3/4 of the brixing cup and always rinse the cup out after each brixing fill. When done, test your machine by stopping and starting it multiple times during a brix to see if it doesn't have quirks where it blasts out a bunch of carbonated water every time the nozzle is started. (How many times do you see concessionists "bumping" the trigger to top off a cup? Yes, that can actually make for a very bad drink if the machine is not set up properly!) If you find issues, make those techs fix them.

If your company is purchasing "turbo" or "mix in the cup" machines, then I really feel for you. These machines just suck! For that matter, so does "bulk CO2"! Fortunately, a slower flowing drink machine with bulk CO2 is acceptable. The best machines out on the market right now are made by "Lancer" and are the regular speed nozzles. Tell your supplier that is the kind you want, and if they are afraid you might change over to the dark side, they just might give them to you! Unfortunately the bad boys of corporate purchasing hear the word "turbo" and "our machine pours really fast to save your employees time in filling the drinks" is complete bullshit! These machines take far longer to properly fill a drink than the old "super slow" machines. Why? The faster it pours, the more foam there will be! Perform this test when you get your new free brixing kit...brix one nozzle at warp speed pour to spec, then brix another nozzle of the same beverage to a slower pour to spec. Now pour a large drink. Which one took longer to wait for the foam to settle down so it could be "topped off"? Why the damned turbo one did! In short, always, always, always tweek your machines to pour as slow as possible (but don't go too crazy with slowing things down).

"But we just pour off the foam to fill drinks quicker." Oh how I hate seeing people who do that. Not only does it waste product, but it compeltely throws off the balancing of the mix! People that do this must be severely hurt. Do not allow your employees to do this.

Also, don't forget to change your filters regularly. You will be amazed at how much this will help the taste of your drinks.

So you've spent all that time making sure your drinks are the best in town, but they still taste like crap. Hmmmm, I'll bet I know what it is. Keep ice in the ice bins at all times!!! Yes, without that ice to cool the lines, the carbonation will be lost and you will have super nasty drinks! Do not even let it get below half way, ever! Ideally you should request "counter electric" dispensers, for those do not require the filling of the ice bin to guarantee a perfect drink every time. Get yourself a Lancer counter electric machine and you're set.

Just remember that drinks are like popcorn. They are super cheap and have mega profit. Customers will automatically purchase the larger size if they know the quality will be great. And of course, they had better be filled to the rim too. When you take a $4 drink and the top inch and a half is not filled after the foam settles down (on a cup that stands 9 inches), the customer has just been shorted $0.50! Don't do it. The customers WILL notice and they WILL feel cheated and they WILL remember.

Candy is pretty simple. First and foremost make sure you rotate your stock! Oh how I hate theaters that do not do this. Make sure you are always selling the oldest items in the stockroom first so you don't end up selling someone a candy bar that is bad.

Also, don't sell damaged boxes of candy. If the box is bent up, damage it. Customers are really getting ripped off on candy, so don't expect them to accept a box that has been smashed.

Make sure to sell name brand candies. This should be obvious.

Finally, put your highest dollar candies on top, so they are seen first. If your counter window has a "display", get someone about 5 feet tall (average height) to stand at an average position in front of the display and tell you what row stands out the most and put your expensive stuff there. When people see two things that interest them, odds are they will purchase the one they saw first.

Hot dogs are a major pain. If memory serves, the inside of a dog is supposed to be 150F...but that is too hot for the dog to not be completely roasted within an hour on that grill! What to do? Well, you can break health codes and run the grill at 110F (please do not do this, health codes are there for a reason)...or you could sell burnt doggies...or you could just use a little smarts and not go crazy by overfilling the grill. It's amazing how many times I go to a theater and see 20 dogs on the grill on a Tuesday night at 10pm. The nasty part of that is those dogs look like they have been on that grill all day long and will probably be saved to serve the next day. Dogs shrivel up and lose their taste when overcooked. Don't even consider selling a dog that starts to shrink up.

If a customer comes to you and wants a hot dog, but you ran out and the new ones you just put on the grill are not quite ready yet, ask that person what movie they are seeing and find out exactly where they will be and go deliver the item to them in the auditorium during the previews. Of course this can not always be done on a busy weekend night, but I would take that extra minute and do it for the customers anyway and WOW did they ever appreciate it. (I always kept a small pad of paper and pen in my pocket so I could write down their order and "directions" to their seat along with what clothes they were wearing and never once had a problem.) I know the customers appreciate the extra bit of effort, for countless times would people who I had no freakin' idea who they were would come up to me and knew my name saying "hi Brad, how are you today?" After a moment of my "who the hell is this person" face, they would say something like "that was so nice of you to bring us our hotdogs and drinks last weekend". Yes, indeed they remember.

Before I forget on the name thing, I always preferred to introduce myself more informally simply as "Brad" and not "Mr.Miller". This worked wonders with the staff, for it helped them to be more of a friend than a boss. The employees would always jump to anything I asked. (The key word here being "asked". I tried to refrain from ever commanding an order.) I think it also gave the customers a more personal level of service. Some will disagree, but that has always worked very well for me.

Many people are going to the "bag of chips and cup of cheese" for nachos. I personally do not like it, but I can definitely see how it helps save preperation time in the kitchen. For those theaters that still sell chips in a saucer, make sure that the concessionists are not using broken chips. Again, this is a cost thing vs. customer satisfaction thing. You wouldn't want to spend $4 on a little bowl of chips and a tiny saucer of cheese, so at least make sure the chips are not a pile of crumbled up pieces. If you are using portion packages of cheese, try and get the "mini" sized chips. They dip better and when we got them by accident, our customers would not leave us alone after we switched back. They just dip better in those little cups AND hardly any of the chips arrived broken because they were smaller in the first place.

Also on the nachos, stand the chips up vertical when building your own chip trays. The idea here is to give the customer an appealing array of chips, and this really does work when they see them sitting in a warmer. If you are successful in acquiring the mini chips, you will also find that your time to assemble the trays of chips will be cut down 3 times over, for those mini chips stack perfectly! Tostitos makes them. I think they are called "bite size", but again this has been a few years.

Let's not forget keeping the concession stand clean. A clean stand helps the customers to believe that the food handling that is done "behind the scenes" is done in a sanitary manner. (Of course you SHOULD be keeping a clean and sanitary kitchen to your local food service regulations, but I thought I'd better clarify that.)

Finally, get down into the concession stand yourself and show the employees that you are not asking them to do anything that you will not do yourself. Show them that you are not above working the stand and they will respect you more, work harder and practice your tips of the trade without having to force it out of them.

...and by all means, heed Ky's advice on letting everyone do their own thing in regards to upselling. There is nothing worse and more unappealing than seeing a line of robots that say exactly the same thing to every person over and over. (My preferred style was to overdo the stereotypical fake concessionist upseller with a Mr.Moviephone type of voice. People loved it and always said "ok" with a laugh.) Be friendly and the customers are more willing to accept suggestive selling.

About health codes: in Alabama, eating establishments are rated by the health department and the rating must be placed in a conspicuous location. Ratings vary widely and are even published in the paper here in Huntsville. 100 is perfect and anything below 60 will get a place shut down. A while back, one theatre got a really low rating and I mentioned it in a comment card and on my WWW site. There is no excuse for letting a health department rating get below 85, and it had slipped down to something like 73, I believe. I thought, "How the hell could a theatre concession stand get that many deductions when all they serve is popcorn and pre-wrapped candy and drinks?!"

Believe it or not, the health rating is a good indication of how well-run a place is. One particular theatre that I have a tendency to brag about every chance I get had a 99 health rating last time I was there. That manager seems to achieve "99" quality in every thing he does at his theatre.

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Evans A Criswell
Huntsville-Decatur Movie Theatre Info Site

Go to a fast food place you've never seen. Walk up to the counter and try to order a meal. If you are the first in line, you'll grab for familier items. If you are second in line, you have a chance to see the prices and "downsize" if you get sticker shock and think they are too high. If you are third in line, you have the experience of others buying and setting a standard, and you have a chance to explore the range of items being offered. At four people, the line starts to look too long. If lines are too short during peak periods, many people will walk right past, either missing the idea of interest in food entirely, or assuming that the prices are too high, or assuming that the selection or preparation is bad.

The entire concession staffing guidelines at T.A.L.P. were built on that concept. The managers eventually learned how to use historical data to properly set staffing levels that resulted in lines like this. Percaps rose accordingly.

Brad and others covered the basics, except for one important point. Using myself as an example, if I see a roach in a theatre, or evidence that they have been active, such as roach shit specks on counters or computer cables, the ONLY thing I will buy at concession is prepackaged sealed candy. If grocery stores can display and sell tons of foods without having a serious roach problem, then theatres can too. Ray Krock and Harlan Sanders understood this and the primary reasons for success of the early McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken were SPOTLESS restaurants and employees.

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Evans A Criswell
Huntsville-Decatur Movie Theatre Info Site

I've seen small town theatres and some small theatres in bigger cities go with the one size one price thing. For some it appears to work. How does $1.50 for soda and corn compare to what other operators in the market are charging? Also is the size comparable? If the sizes are small customers could perceive the singe size/price thing as a hindrence. This may be especially true if the focus is on families.

(Pardon me while I rant a moment) This is something I don't get about modern parenting. Why do parents insist that each kid get his own popcorn, coke and candy? Doesn't anyone believe in teaching the value of sharing anymore? When my brother and I were kids and went to the movies with our Mom we'd get a medium popcorn and soda and share. Personally, I think parents are missing a valuable opportunity to teach kids to share while going to the movies. But enough of that rant.

Anyway, this one size thing could be a problem with families who insist on the drink/corn/candy for each kid routine. One thought would be to offer a family pack type admission on a certain night or nights where say $20.00 gets in a family of 4 with sodas and a family size corn.