Bringing own food into cinema

Monkey61

After four years of bringing my own food into Cineworld in Dublin, I thought this was pretty much the norm if you didn't want to pay the exorbitante prices.
I recall UCI in Tallaght back in the nineties having signs up saying you couldn't bring your own food in, but they didn't last long. Also recall soemone telling me that cinemas aren't allowed to say that anyway.

So basically i have just moved to London, where not only does Cineworld have signs up saying that you can't bring in your own food! But they have also taken to searching people's bags on the way in to make sure that you don't have your own food! WTF!

I was carrying a plastic bag in the other week and was asked what was in it.I said clothes...which it clearly was from the shape and bulkiness of it. And he insisted on looking through it anyway to make sure I hadn't hidden any food inside.

Has cineworld in Dublin started this too or is it just the English feckers?

Agent Smith

this is just the start! next thing you know pubs will Make you Buy your beer there!

Jack Sheehan

Well a couple of months ago I brought an entire apache pizza into the Ormone in Stillorgan and no one batted an eyelid. Probably just the English getting you down etc etc etc.

Mitch Connor

I would ask them to get a cop to check my bag, as they (cineworld) have no legal right to do so.

Full_Circle

Jebus, thats shocking! :eek: I would have thought they'd have no right to go through your bag. What if (for example) you'd picked up some groceries before heading to the cinema?? As long as you've paid for the ticket, I dont see how they could possibly object to food being brought in.

I ALWAYS bring my own food to the cinema, partly because the price they charge for food in cinemas is criminal, but also because some places (and I thinking of the Vue in Liffey Valley in particular) have a terrible selection of sweets to choose from! What if I dont want to buy a GIANT tub of Malteasers or Revels or M&Ms. What then??

The only time I wouldnt object to my bag being searched is by a security guard in a shop if the alarm goes off when you leave or if your going to a concert to check if you are concealing a weapon or some sort (although I still find THAT quite offensive......).

junior_apollo

I have worked in the cinema business for about 3 yrs and it is ILLEGAL for them to refuse entry because you have brought in your own food...

Regardless of what their signage says they cannot stop you...

I would NOT allow them to search my bag... the only grounds for searching that should be allowed would be for drugs/weapons and this MUST be performed by a guard/police-person... not by a member of staff as they have no legal right to check your bags/belongings...

If they ask to check your bags tell them that they have no legal right and if they insist then TELL them that you want a legal reason for this check and to get a police-person to do this check

Shenanigans i tell ya!...:eek:

monkey tennis

Tauren wrote: »

I would ask them to get a cop to check my bag, as they (cineworld) have no legal right to do so.

Well, they do if you've given them permission, and they probably have the right to refuse you entry if you don't give them permission

junior_apollo

monkey tennis wrote: »

Well, they do if you've given them permission, and they probably have the right to refuse you entry if you don't give them permission

Yes correct... if you've given them permission then they can search you without any repercussions...

They can refuse you entry because you do not give permission to be searched...

BUT if you allow permission on the basis that a law official performs the search it is then THEIR duty to either allow you entry or to request an officer to come and perform the search...

BlitzKrieg

good thing cineworld here dont search bags, I was on my way home from work and I had one of my video cameras (a decent size vx2000 not a small camcorder) in my backpack and some friends asked me to join them in seeing 300, didnt have time to go home so I went into the cinema with the bag and only remembered 3 minutes before the film started that I had the camera.


On the topic, I would kill Cineworld if they start refusing food to be brought in, I just recently had a medical scare and cant eat sweets or drink fizzy drinks, So I bring fruit (usually grapes or oranges) and water/juice drink to the cinema. They'd lose me as a customer bloody quick if I wasnt allowed to bring them into the screen.


On a a buisness front, why dont they turn one of the soft drink fountains into one to serve dilute like miwadi or robinsons rather then coke, it would give them alot more profit then the small bottles they sell and it would help people like me who at the moment cant drink soft drinks.

Full_Circle

monkey tennis wrote: »

Well, they do if you've given them permission, and they probably have the right to refuse you entry if you don't give them permission

But shouldnt the purchase of an highly overly priced ticket be all you need to gain entrance to a film??? I mean, if they start searching you bag, whats next...........deep cavity searches? :eek: *runs away at the sound of rubber gloves being snapped on*

And even if food was found in your bag, whos to say its for consumption in the cinema? At any rate, people would be much more likely to buy their sweets in the cinema if they were sold at regular prices.

herbieflowers

Hey, I work in a cinema and we don't allow backpacks into the screens (for health and safety in case of a fire; recording equipment; food) You're supposed to apprehend (hehe) anyone who tries to sneak food in (they're allowed in as long as they collect the food afterwards) but I usually turn a blind eye as (unless it's someone I don't like...) 1) I used to do it myself and 2) the prices are ridiculous. One guy tried to smuggle in whole cooked chicken, smelt it a mile off, funny stuff though.

You'd always find beer cans and that in the screens afterwards, trick is to hide the stuff well on your person, it's not that difficult. I mean, don't make a big show of the fact that you're bringing outside stuff in...they won't half like that!

Branoic

agent smith wrote: »

this is just the start! next thing you know pubs will Make you Buy your beer there!

Difference is, people generally go to the movies to Watch a Movie, not to Buy Rip-off Food.

Bros123

Has anyone mentioned the cost of bringing children to the cinema and then buying sweets etc in there?
Any sane parent will buy it before they go in as the costs would be astronomical when going with even 2 or 3 kids.

johnny_ultimate

I regularly bring in my own roll (a far tastier option thatn the cinema choices), and pretty much always bring in my own bottle of H20. Prices have gotten far too ridiculous. I like the occasional box of cinema popcorn and all, but 4 or more euro for a small box in Cineworld is robbery. IMC Dun Laoghaire is better value (especially on Tuesdays at 4 euro for a popcorn and a drink on top of four euro student ticket) but I for one think it is a far better offer to pick up snacks beforehand in Tesco. Water and popcorn for just over a euro is the way to go

Secretpint

I have to say that the smell of hot food, Mcdonalds etc is just nasty in a cinema, when I worked in cineworld you see how piggish people are regarding not cleaning up after themselves, it was really horrible cleaning up half eaten big macs/chicken fillet rolls dropped on the floor

AARRRGH

Reminds me of the Curb Your Enthusiasm where some freak who doesn't work for the cinema won't let him bring water into the movie... so he has to hide the bottle down his trousers... uh oh...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7_MaQRiCsk

senordingdong

I just wish someone would do this stuff to me.
I haven't kicked up a fuss in ages.

Boggles

Was just thinking there, the sale profit on popcorn must be 99.99%. 1 small bag of unpopped would fill a small bin.

Plus there ratio of one can of coke to five gallons of water, must yield some profit.

cooperguy

The main reason that the food is so expensive is because most of the ticket price goes to the studios, distributors etc. the cinemas make their profit from the food. Luckily for me I dont have to pay Dublin prices though:D

unreggd

Just refuse it

they have no right to search your bags

Its not a retail store, they're not security guards

keefg

Like most shops, pubs, restaurants etc the cinema probably have a "Management have the right to refuse entry" clause in use.

Even if you have bought a ticket for an event such as a movie, gig or nightclub this does not guarantee admittance.

Going to the cinema used to be a cheap night out but with the price of the food & drink they sell as well as the increase in ticket prices it hasn't been for a long time.

ztoical

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

I regularly bring in my own roll (a far tastier option thatn the cinema choices), and pretty much always bring in my own bottle of H20.

Thats what I normally do as well, I'm not a massive fan of cinema food [worked in what is now cineworld but was UGC/Virgin cinemas back in my college days and was put right off the food as a result]. I got a plain buttered roll and brought it into the Savoy about two years ago and during the preveiws a memeber of staff came in and asked me to leave cus I'd brought the roll in.

L31mr0d

last time I remember an usher going through bags was for the premier of Lord of the Rings in the Savoy, one of my friends worked for a vending machine refilling company and had brought a backpack full of gummies and chocolates for all of us. The usher seen the contents of his bag and refused him entrance and said he could leave his bag behind the ticket counter until the movie was over. My friend obliged as he didn't want to miss the movie.

Usually now though its not an issue, as I like to actually have warm popcorn when i'm in the cinema and the combo deal prices at movies@swords is actually pretty decent. Plus the cinema is the only place I know that actually sells my favourite B&J ice cream, Cherry Garcia.

One question, I mean if they tell me I can't bring my food into the cinema and object can they actually kick me out? Is there some clause at cinemas where merely buying a ticket gives them permission to refuse you entrance if you have food on you.

qwertplaywert

I think the best solution is(because theres no way in hell the prices are gonna go down, there gonna keep going up)to introduce a 'club' for people who to the cinema regulary, e.g. twice or more a month. They could get reduced ticket prices, reduced food/ drink, and pay a yearly subscription.

babyhack

qwertplaywert wrote: »

I think the best solution is(because theres no way in hell the prices are gonna go down, there gonna keep going up)to introduce a 'club' for people who to the cinema regulary, e.g. twice or more a month. They could get reduced ticket prices, reduced food/ drink, and pay a yearly subscription.

Cineworld Unlimited Card

BH

niceirishfella

Jack Sheehan wrote: »

Well a couple of months ago I brought an entire apache pizza into the Ormone in Stillorgan and no one batted an eyelid. Probably just the English getting you down etc etc etc.

And a Garlic bread with Cheez??:D

MiloFoxburr

babyhack wrote: »

Cineworld Unlimited Card

BH

That doesn't get you reduced food/drink prices :P

prod_igy

cineworld on parnell street is rite beside my college so i usually have my schoolbag with me when i go in and have a roll, water and maybe some crisps in it, which are much cheaper than the food on offer in the cinema, and i have never been checked, and have never seen anyone get checked either.

On another note, i read somewhere that the most profitable commodity in the world, ahead of oil, and even heroin, is popcorn that is for sale in cinemas. I cant remember the exact markup but it was somewhere along the lines of 10,000%.......something ridiculous like that anyway!!

grames_bond

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

I regularly bring in my own roll (a far tastier option...)

i went to see the first showing of die hard 4, and the person beside me had a roll and was the loudest fcukin eater in the world, it was so incredibly irritating! Now i do agree that prices have gone mad in cinemas, but common courtocy (sp?) should override anything.....dont bring in noisy food!

senordingdong

grames_bond wrote: »

i went to see the first showing of die hard 4, and the person beside me had a roll and was the loudest fcukin eater in the world, it was so incredibly irritating! Now i do agree that prices have gone mad in cinemas, but common courtocy (sp?) should override anything.....dont bring in noisy food!

Or smelly food.

johnny_ultimate

grames_bond wrote: »

i went to see the first showing of die hard 4, and the person beside me had a roll and was the loudest fcukin eater in the world, it was so incredibly irritating! Now i do agree that prices have gone mad in cinemas, but common courtocy (sp?) should override anything.....dont bring in noisy food!

I'd usually eat it during the ads and keep it as quiet as possible. Yes, an overtly well wrapper roll is slighly noisy, but the rustling of popcorn can be pretty loud too. I wouldn't consider a roll 'noisy food' in any case.

Princess J

Me and my mom smuggled a kilo of prawns into Lethal Weapon 3 when it came out Good times

Pigman II

Don't the cinemas make more money out of confectionary than they do from ticket sales tho? If so then you're basically robbing these places of their livelihood.

I don't buy the food from cinemas purely because I'm not a fat bastard and I like to look after myself. Likewise I presume
you smugglers only bring in salad and bottled water when you go to a movie, right?

Princess J

Pigman II wrote: »

Don't the cinemas make more money out of confectionary than they do from ticket sales tho? If so then you're basically robbing these places of their livelihood.

I don't buy the food from cinemas purely because I'm not a fat bastard and I like to look after myself. Likewise I presume
you smugglers only bring in salad and bottled water when you go to a movie, right?

A cinema ticket here in Cork is E9 per adult. A medium drink costs E3.20. That's for about 500ml, which is the supermarket costs E1.20 ish. And the cinema stuff is a syrup mix which is why the cola tastes slightly different to bottled coca cola.

I do think the confectionary prices in a cinema might be a rip off, but I only bring in things I cannot buy in the cinema. I don't go often enough to be complaining about their prices, plus I have no idea how much overhead costs of running a cinema are. Maybe their prices do need to be that to make a profit, I don't know.

As for the last part of your post, I think that that is a gross generalisation to make. I'm by no means "a fat bast*rd" and I do like to look after myself, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the odd fizzy drink or bar of chocolate. There are worse vices I could have, that would also be more damaging. Don't get me wrong, I'm not taking your comment personally, I'm just pointing out that not everyone who eats confectionary in the cinema is a "fat bast*rd"

FYI : most cinemas sell bottled water

ixoy

Pigman II wrote: »

Don't the cinemas make more money out of confectionary than they do from ticket sales tho? If so then you're basically robbing these places of their livelihood.

Correct. I remember seeing before that popcorn has about a 10,000% markup on the cost of its raw ingredients (when bought in bulk). Even factoring heating, rent, wages, etc. it's still a nice margin of profit and it's what keeps cinemas going.
It's the reason that Cineworld have their Unlimited card - they decide to remove the minimal profit they would have likely got from the ticket sale and hope that they'll make it up by customer's munching on their over-priced food even more. If all their customers did as I did then, they'd have been forced to close up a long time ago...

ztoical

Pigman II wrote: »

Don't the cinemas make more money out of confectionary than they do from ticket sales tho? If so then you're basically robbing these places of their livelihood.

Cinemas don't make a profit out of ticket sales - they cover their expenses and make profits from confectionary sales. However what if you don't want any food at all? I've many a time gone to a film and not brought any food or drink with me or purchased any at the cinema. Should I fork out another 10 euros just so I won't feel bad for robbing them of their livelihood?

Pigman II wrote: »

I don't buy the food from cinemas purely because I'm not a fat bastard and I like to look after myself. Likewise I presume
you smugglers only bring in salad and bottled water when you go to a movie, right?

I think its more a case of people being cheap then thinking of their health and honestly aren't there enough "ugh fat people" threads going on on PI and after hours? don't think we need to start one on a film board. And you don't have to buy bottled water in the cinema if you ask a member of staff will get you a glass of tap water.

MiloFoxburr

Was in Cineworld there tonight and the girl checking the tickets stopped 2 young teens going up with food course they did have 2 6 packs of Hunky Dorys and about 12 Fruit Shoots so I can sorta understand why, they would of been noisy feckers throughout what ever movie they were in.

They didn't stop me and my friends (I had water in my hand, and a friend had some popcorn and crisps in a HMV Bag). Although the security guy upstairs did have a second look at my friend and I thought he was gonna say something about the bag but he didn't.

I normally only bring water into the cinemas anyways and maybe a bar of chocolate or one packet of crisps (Both eaten well before the movie starts) so this doesn't bother me too much. No way in hell am I paying nearly €3 for a bottle of Water though.

Oh and for the first 5 minutes of Sweeny Todd I could hear people all around me opening packets of things was actually quite annoying, it got quieter after that though

Charlie

As already stated, they can't legally compel a search, but they can refuse admission without giving a reason.

Strangely, I was in New york on a J1, I probably went to the cinema at least twice a week. I was sitting in the upper lobby of a cinema in Times Square, just beside the roped section where an usher tears your ticket. I was monching a shish kebab, and when I finished I went to go through. The usher remarked that I didn't have to sit there nad finish my food, I could of brought it through to the screen. I found this odd, but I think it must be the case in the US that it is estb. that patrons CAN bring their own food in.

Thought this was odd seeing as it was in the U.S. where you're lead to believe that profit is everything.

On a sidenote, U.S cinemas put ours to shame (butter your own popcorn, lethal! )

ztoical

charlie mchugh wrote: »

On a sidenote, U.S cinemas put ours to shame (butter your own popcorn, lethal! )

Don't know if they still do it but UGC/cineworld use to let you butter your own popcorn [and most people went overkill and the bottom would fall out of the tub]

Lived in New York for four years and never had any issues bringing food into cinemas there - some of the cinemas [Anglika down on Huston] even sell sandwhiches. Thing I liked was there was no assigned sitting, always first come first served, bloody hate the whole assigned sitting thing in dublin cinemas.

grames_bond

ztoical wrote: »

Don't know if they still do it but UGC/cineworld use to let you butter your own popcorn .

ye they stopped that completely, not only that but they dont even sell buttered popcorn anymore!

Jello

ztoical wrote: »

Thing I liked was there was no assigned sitting, always first come first served, bloody hate the whole assigned sitting thing in dublin cinemas.

Go to Cineworld then, they don't have assigned seating.

Wacker

I only ever bring a bottle of water into the cinema (unless I'm ravenous), and at €1.90 in the IMC I don't feel I'm really being ripped off badly at all. Cineworld is a lot more expensive, but they're in business to do business, so I tend to oblige them with my custom anyway.

I had a mate who used to work in the IMC and he told me that the cinema buys a large bag of popcorn seeds for just €10. This can sell for as much as €1,000. There are loads of other expenses associated with this though, such as the oil and packaging(long before you ever factor in things like staff and electricity, etc.) so once again I don't think this is an unreasonable mark-up.
I get annoyed by people in the queue who buy two large bags of sweets, a tub of ice cream, a large popcorn and a large drink who act dismayed when their purchase come to €18 or so. Did they think all that stuff was free?

Kintarō Hattori

I really don't get the whole eating in the cinema thing. If I'm hungry I'll have something to eat before I go in because:

A) I'd really hate to think I was disturbing people around me

I'm going to watch a movie, eating is just a distraction

On occasion I have brought coke or water into the cinema as its redicuously priced at €3.30 for a 500ml bottle. I have also bought their pick 'n' mix sweets too but never their big packs of revels, malteasers etc as they are an insane price too.

Snacks are fine in the cinema but the people in there georging themselves on burgers, hotdogs etc are just distracting everyone else.

senordingdong

charlie mchugh wrote: »

On a sidenote, U.S cinemas put ours to shame (butter your own popcorn, lethal! )

That's not butter pal.

Sam Vimes

ztoical wrote: »

Thing I liked was there was no assigned sitting, always first come first served, bloody hate the whole assigned sitting thing in dublin cinemas.

i find that very hard to understand. UCI only does assigned seating occasionally and if its unassigned and you've gone with a few mates you have to search in the dark to find the right number of seats together. there might be 10 seats free on a row but spread out in the gaps between smaller groups. sometimes you end up sitting apart in a cinema with 50 seats free.

whereas when they have assigned seating the staff member will let you look at the screen and choose the seats you want when buying. that way you get all the benefits of unassigned seating in that you can pick where you want to sit and you won't have to sit at random points around the cinema. the only difference is you pick your seat on the screen before you go in instead of rummaging around in the dark

any time i go to the cinema i book online beforehand and if the seating is unassigned i get the premier seats. they cost more but i know i won't have to rush in lest i end up in the very left side of the front row again. by the end of the film those seats leave you with eye and neck strain

what possible drawbacks can assigned seating have?

Mully

Cineworld & IMC would be the cinemas a attend most.

Cineworld do have signs up saying NO food/drink can be brought in.
I generally buy popcorn (as I generally pull the bollocks out their Unlimited Card), but I do bring my own drink.

IMC also have a sign up, but they have stipulations on what food can
be brought in ... i.e. no bottles over 750ml etc.

IMC have also started a loyalty system called 'Stubs'. Book you tickets over the net, & you get points which you redeem against Popcorn, drinks & tickets.

http://www.imc-cinemas.com/stubs/stubs.asp

glenroe2006

I work in a cinema and we generally turn a blind eye to people bringing in their own food, except we are encouraged to stop people who try to bring in food like McDonald's or Burger King. I think the main reason for this is that we just don't have the time to be cleaning up all of that crap after people. It's bad enough that there's always at least five people who knock their whole bag of popcorn on the floor and there's always one who's managed to spill their whole drink too. We only have on average 30 minutes to clean up a screen between showings which actually isn't a lot of time when you have to pick up rubbish and sweep a screen that seats 400+ people. Cleaning up the remains of people's McDonalds, ketchup everywhere and the likes, is just not something we want to deal with.

r3nu4l

Monkey61 wrote: »

So basically i have just moved to London, where not only does Cineworld have signs up saying that you can't bring in your own food! But they have also taken to searching people's bags on the way in to make sure that you don't have your own food! WTF!
.
.
.
Has cineworld in Dublin started this too or is it just the English feckers?

Well, I regularly go to two different Cineworlds in East Anglia and have never seen anyone have their bag searched! I've gone in with my own shopping and never had my bag searched either.

However the Cineworld Website FAQ clearly states that bringing your own food and drink is not allowed...

Can I bring in my own food and drink?
Cineworld have a strict NO FOOD AND DRINK policy. We reserve the right to refuse customers entry into the screens with food or drink bought outside the premises. All our cinemas display the necessary signage, advising customers of this policy.

As a food operator we offer a wide range of drinks and snacks to satisfy our customers but also protect our cinema finishes and customers clothing. Not all movie-goers are considerate of others in their snack choices and we have needed to set clearer guidelines on what is appropriate.

I've highlighted the bit in bold that I most agree with. Do you want the guy beside you eating Salami sandwiches? I don't! The other thing to note is that most staff are reasonable about this kind of thing and will happily let you in if it's only a bag of sweets and a coke/lucozade or similar. OP, you may have been unlucky because I've never seen this before and I've been to almost 100 movies in the past 3.5 years I've lived in England.

Otis Driftwood

ztoical wrote: »

Thing I liked was there was no assigned sitting, always first come first served, bloody hate the whole assigned sitting thing in dublin cinemas.

That really pisses in my flower bed.

Me and my girlfriend went to see PS I Love You (shut up) in Dundrum about 2 weeks ago and the cinema was wedged and these fat knuckle dragging mongoloid ushers trying to seat people.It ended up with a queue of at least 50 people waiting to get seated and any time anyone tried to move these sweaty idiots started roaring at them.

I hate those guys and its my lifes mission to trip one of them when they are walking down the stairs.

F_u_c_k-tards.

nedtheshed

nedtheshed wrote: »

That really pisses in my flower bed.

Me and my girlfriend went to see PS I Love You (shut up) in Dundrum about 2 weeks ago and the cinema was wedged and these fat knuckle dragging mongoloid ushers trying to seat people.It ended up with a queue of at least 50 people waiting to get seated and any time anyone tried to move these sweaty idiots started roaring at them.

I hate those guys and its my lifes mission to trip one of them when they are walking down the stairs.

F_u_c_k-tards.

And if you were in their shoes, with 50 people (some of whom are ignorant, obviously:rolleyes:) waiting to get seated, you'd do a better job?

Fantastic.

Where I work we have a policy that no outside food is allowed in the cinema screens, neither are rucksacks.

Otis Driftwood

What I was on about was the whole assigned seating thing.

The same happened when I went to see Shrooms.There was maybe 20 people in the theatre and they still acted like assholes.

Too full of their own importance and alot of mini Hitlers waddling around the place.