Ode To Popcorn

One of the things I get feedback on is that a few readers described my weekly essays as “the sky is falling” bits of writing. ON a superficial level, I can understand that, but it is certainly not the intent. My intent is to shine a light on the triumph and the necessity of the movie going experience and as the old adage goes, a true friend will not tell you what you want to hear but will tell you what you need to hear. I know that is my intent, I am sure I fail once and awhile but I really want to re-invigorate and promote going to the movies. I have owned a theater, owned a drive-in, made about 14 movies, worked in streaming, and have loved every little bit of it.

I love going to theaters. I check out the flooring, the seats, and I have an interest in what kind of projector they have. I peruse the washrooms as that is where repeat visits are determined or not determined. I once visited a drive-in that took shape in the side parking lot of a mall. It was a cool setup, great projection but there was a fatal flaw. Porta Potties. Men are less discerning where they do their business, women are not, and if that woman has a small child she is going to be none too happy to drag her toddler into a Porta Potty, imagining all forms of disasters. Women determine repeated visits so a strong focus of any solid exhibitor should always be the bathrooms.

When I approach a concession stand I look for what items they have to offer as an impulse buy, what kind of diverse offering does the theater have? I ask myself if the candy is protected behind glass cases, does that block transactions as it adds more steps to the sales process. A customer is in line and they have to ask to buy the candy, the staff member has to reach down and pull out the candy and then hand it to the customer, does the need for that communication impede sales. When I had the drive-in I always laid out the candies on the counter. When a four year old grabbed the candy in order to present a compelling argument to their mother regarding purchase, I knew I had a 90% chance of that candy being sold.

Invariably my attention would turn to the cinematic Holy Grail, the temple of concession revenue, and the engine of profitability, the popcorn kettle. In that simple device lies the truth in a theater.? Evolving from classic cast iron poppers, kettles come in various sizes depending on the audience they are serving;

• 4 ounce kettle: Small businesses, bed and breakfasts, home theaters
• 6 ounce kettle: Small business, gas stations with medium traffic, home theaters
• 8 ounce kettle: Small to medium businesses, gas stations and small concession stands
• 12 ounce kettle: School concession stands, gas stations and lobbies with steady traffic
• 16 ounce kettle: School concession stands with heavy traffic, movie theaters.
• 32 ounce kettle: Drive-ins and movie theaters
• 60 ounce kettle: Large popcorn throughput, primarily multi-screens?

Now there are bigger kettles, but for my money 32 oz. is the ideal size. I loathe the trend to bag the popped kernels in a large plastic sack and attempt to blend in the day old popcorn with new popped corn. I find that just petty. In a business that has earned a poor reputation for not presenting value to the consumer, freshly popped popcorn with all the aroma and ambiance that provides is a cheap way of presenting what a theater is truly about,

Lets face it, popcorn has one of the highest markups of any concession product, starting at a wondrous 900% and can easily climb to over 1000%. The? higher the markup, the larger the gains. I would also make the argument in regard to sizing of popcorn, I think there is less market pushback on popcorn due to the size of the offering and what your customer perceives that they receive. I have seen theaters offering up to 128 oz buckets to 170 oz buckets. Theater popcorn is truly an in theater product. I really think consumer ire is raised when they compare the price of a “Big Gulp” with the cost in theater drinks.

I still think there is a perception of value when it comes to popcorn.

Theaters are best served when they come back to their roots. Entering a lobby, smelling the Flavacol and coconut oil combined with the sound of exploding corn kernels, is a soothing re-enforcement of the consumer that they are in a movie theater. The heat of the oil filling your popcorn and the enticing combination of warmth, salt and butter (or butter alternative) is compelling and seductive at the same time. It is the highest expression of the concessions arts and foundational when it comes to the business of exhibition.

The popcorn kettle is the cornucopia of exhibition, a simple yet elegant highway to revenue, and one that will tell us whether a theater truly is an experience or is it just a machine. The kettle in my mind is in the center of the? theater and is the key to understanding the viability of any temple of entertainment.