Boxoffice-October.01.1955

i
DOUGHNUTS: a Hole in One
For the Concessions Dollar at Drive-in
Cellophane-Pack Doughnuts
Turn a 10c Coffee Purchase
Into 25c Sale for Extra Net
Doughnuts wrapped in cellophane
packages are purchased from doughnut
operators for resale in the drive-in theatre
concessions operated by Theatre
Candy Co., Inc.
"It is my understanding, from capable
operators in the doughnut business,
that a doughnut should cost to
make without labor, two cents," says Phil
Lowe, head of the organization. "We
are buying doughnuts wrapped in cellophane
packages, packed two to a package,
at 38 cents a dozen, delivered daily
Doughnuts made right in the concessions stand at the Trail Driye-ln Theatre, Houston, Tex., sell from 500
dozen a week in summer to 1,200 dozen a week in winter. Jack Farr, owner, helps produce these fantastic
soles by ventilating the tantilizing odor out into the parking lot during screenings and cutting off the vent
so the odor drifts around inside the snack bar during intermissions.
When Jack Farr, Trail Drive-In Theatre,
Houston, Tex., wrote to the Donut
Corp. of America in New York about its
$1,100 automatic doughnut machine he was
advised by them that a doughnut operation
such as he had in mind would be doomed to
failure. But Farr bought the machine and
proved them wrong.
SET OFF BY ITSELF
He set the machine off to one side in the
concessions stand, so that it is operated
separately from everything else. It automatically
forms the doughnuts, which drop
into grease which is automatically controlled
at a temperature of 375". He uses
fresh Pillsbury doughnut mix, from which
is made plain doughnuts which are sold at
50 cents a dozen, and sugared, chocolate
and vanilla doughnuts which bring 60
cents a dozen. Any doughnuts that are
left over from the night before are iced
and sold at the premium price the next
night.
The only special merchandising method
used at Trail Drive-In. according to Farr.
is to see that the odor of the doughnuts
gets around to the right places at the right
times. During the showing of films they
ventilate the odor out into the parking lot.
During intermission they cut off the vent
so that the odor drifts around inside the
.snack bar.
In the summer the estimate of sales Is
about 500 dozen a week. In winter that
20
shoots up to around 1,200 dozen a week.
Sixty-five per cent of the doughnut business
at the Trail is the take-home sort
people buying a dozen or two after the
show to have for breakfast the next morning.
Single sales for the coffee-and, to be
consumed on the premises, are five cents
a doughnut for any kind.
"Of all business in the snack bar," Farr
said, "the doughnut business is the cleanest,
the most profitable and the most appreciated—especially
by the mothers of young
children."
COST: NINE CENTS A DOZEN
More profitable than popcorn? we wanted
to know. The answer was a most positive
yes. Cost of the doughnuts to the Trail is
nine cents a dozen!
Farr points out two things in the way of
warnings. "Hand-operated equipment is
not to be compared to this completely automatic
kind." It would be a nightmare in a
drive-in, he believes. Also lie feels that
such an operation would only be profitable
in a drive-in theatre of 500 cars or more.
The Trail is a 960-car situation catering
to the family trade.
The Trail Drive-In Theatre in Houston
was the first one in tlie country to go into
the doughnut business. But it isn't the last.
A recent letter from the Donut Corp.
of America informed Farr that there now
are 1,200 drive-ins using "operation-doughnut."
SELL TWO FOR 15 CENTS
"This is a hand-cut doughnut, either
plain, sugared or jelly. We sell this
package of doughnuts for 15 cents which
gives us a food cost of around 43 per
cent. Although this is shghtly higher
than our average food cost and although
we could buy doughnuts cheaper, doughnuts
are sold in our theatres on a suggestion
basis. If a patron goes through one
of our cafeteria lines and purchases only
coffee, as happens quite often, in the
fall and early spring, we always suggest
doughnuts to him and turn a ten-cent
sale into a 25-cent sale. We feel that we
have made an extra nine cents net on
him."
GOOD SALES IN COOL MONTHS
No screen trailers or special promo
tions are used to push doughnuts yet
Lowe reports that from September 15
to April 15 they can do $200 a week on
this item in any kind of a good theatre
"Our operation in general has beer
not to try to figure out what item hurt,>
what other item, but rather to look a(
the over-all picture of gross sales anc
food cost. Gross sales of over 40 cent:
per person for 60-day periods are nor
mal,
' says Lowe. "We are satisfied, bu.
not stagnant."
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Special Trade Colors Now Available
For Automatic Drink Dispensers
Automatic cup druik dispensers in Coc
Cola red, Pepsi-Cola blue and Nehi yell
are now available to theatres accordi
to announcement made by Cole ProduiS
Corp. The special colors for the d-
pensers have a slight additional cost on
the firm's Cole-Spa Special line, for vvhi.i
the standard color combination of marcii
and gray has been adopted. This line
eludes one. three and four-drink sellion
machines, serving carbonated and n( -
carbonated drinks. Illuminated dispJ'
accessories for lobby or drive-in concisions
vending are also available.
There is no better advertising for a prluct
than the product Itself.
The MODERN THEATRE SECnN