The Rave theater in West Chester Twp. at 9415 Civic Center Blvd does not serve alcohol yet, but such a project is in the offing, said manager Vanessa Harvey. She could not say when the project would be finished but said the human resources department is working on related policies.
Showcase Cinemas in Springdale — part of the National Amusements theater company — has alcoholic beverages on the menu of its Chatters restaurant, but does not currently allow guests to bring drinks into theaters during movie showings, according to Showcase spokeswoman Rachel Lulay.
“Our liquor license allows for serving adult beverages throughout the theater complex, but we restrict to the Chatters restaurant except for special events” such as sporting event viewings, opera events or other “alternative content,” Lulay said via email.
The Rave Dayton South theater is a pilot project for the company. “If it works well here, where we did not previously have a bar, this model could be rolled out at other sites” in the theater chain,” General Manager Jeff Klaene said.
Customer response so far has been “very positive,” Klaene said. “Guests are still amazed that they can have a drink at the movies.”
Klaene said the introduction of adult beverages has boosted concession sales, although its impact on attendance is more difficult to gauge.
“While most of our customers are driven by the type of film, we have had a few mention to us that they will be coming here from now on because of the alcohol option,” he said. “It certainly cannot hurt to offer guests as many choices as we can to keep them coming to the movies versus all of the other entertainment options out there.”
The movie industry has felt the pinch from home-theater competition: The annual number of movies attended per person in the U.S. has dropped from 5.1 to 3.9 over the past decade, according to data collected by the Motion Picture Association of America. And while 2012 is shaping up to be a strong year for movie attendance, the 2011 North American box office ticket sales dropped about 4 percent from 2010 to $10.2 billion.
Advances such as high-definition technology and larger screen sizes in flat-panel television screens have narrowed the sensory experience between watching movies at home and viewing them in the theater, and industry analysts say that’s contributing to the movie industry’s downward trend.
So far, moviegoers have been responsible about their alcohol consumption in theaters: Police in both Miamisburg, where Rave Dayton South is located, and in Beavercreek, home of The Greene’s Rave cinemas, said they have not responded to any alcohol-related calls at either theater complex since those cinemas started serving alcohol.
Klaene said Rave employees take steps to make sure there is no abuse or underage drinking in the theaters.
“We card everybody, no matter how old they are, and if someone wants to order more than one, we need to see that second person’s ID,” he said. Rave has a wristband system to help ensure no underage patrons obtain alcohol, and staff is trained to refuse to serve anyone who is already intoxicated, the cinema manager said.
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