Want a glass of wine, beer or cocktail while at the movies? It could happen in Macon
Having a glass of wine or a beer with your popcorn while watching a movie likely happens often in many homes.
But it could be happening in the future at Macon’s movie theater.
Southern Theatres, LLC, doing business as AmStar 16-Macon at 5995 Zebulon Road, posted a legal advertisement in The Telegraph saying it plans to apply for a beer, wine and liquor license with the Macon-Bibb County Commission. As of Wednesday morning, the county hadn’t yet received an application.
Attempts to reach Louisiana-based Southern Theatres for comment were unsuccessful.
“Forget popcorn and Milk Duds. Booze is the next step in cinemas’ fight against flagging attendance,” according to a story that originally appeared in The Hollywood Reporter in February 2017. “For decades, local and state laws prevented movie chains from offering alcoholic beverages in regular auditoriums.”
But during the past two years, 32 states changed their rules about alcohol only being allowed in dinner theaters, the article said. By the end of 2016, 178 of AMC’s theaters had lounges or bars, Regal Theatres had 175 locations serving spirits and about 100 Cinemark theaters served alcohol, the article said.
Movie watchers have had other options to watch their favorite flicks for the past few years, so the industry has been making some changes, such as adding alcohol to the lineup, in order to compete. Theater companies also have been adding bars and everything from casual bar food to gourmet meals, according to various news reports. Some offer local craft beer and specialty cocktails. Several theaters in Atlanta offer alcohol.
“These offerings are becoming the mainstream,” Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst at the entertainment research firm Exhibitor Relations in Los Angeles, said in D Magazine Partners online in December 2016. “We’re seeing these upscale movie theaters that are basically drafthouses, but with a lot more money put into them. Right now, that’s what’s holding the industry together.”
Movie attendance dropped 6 percent last year, even though ticket prices hit a record high, based on data from the National Association of Theatre Owners, according to a January article in the Los Angeles Times.
The rising cost of going to a movie theater is causing consumers to be more selective about what they are willing to go see, the article said. The industry is facing “long-term challenges, especially growing competition from Netflix and other streaming services.”
But, of course, state law regarding who can order these drinks still apply.
Cinemark Theatres reminds theatergoers on its website that if anyone is under 40, “don’t forget to bring your ID.”