Boxoffice - February 2017

everage, we have
an opportunity to
create an enhanced
guest experience and,
therefore, customer
loyalty.
Reel Sizzle is a
newer concept in
your concessions
offerings;
originally in just
one location, it
has since been
expanding rapidly
in the last several
months. What has been your experience with it?
The Reel Sizzle experience has been very positive with our
customer base, as we offer food that is very easily consumed within
a theater environment, like burgers, chicken sandwiches, shakes,
and more. Additionally, we’ve found that there is much success with
burger restaurants in today’s marketplace. With Reel Sizzle, we’ve
identified the opportunity to leverage that demand within the confines
of a movie theater.
How much of a challenge is it to train staff in these
additional roles, as cooks or waiters?
Staffing has been one of our greatest challenges. We often have to
look beyond our current associates to find the most qualified cooks,
waiters, bartenders, and dishwashers, because these are positions
that require a unique skill set. It’s often challenging to find skilled
candidates who understand the operations of a movie theater, as individuals
in these professions are not typically seeking out employment
in a movie theater. We have had to market ourselves as a destination
for these workers and promote all the food and beverage employment
opportunities available within our facilities, as well as provide a career
path for these associates to move upward within the organization.
or other varieties
elsewhere. It is a
destination item
that consumers
seek out on a
regular basis and
it’s a staple of the
overall moviegoing
experience.
The industry is
not deviating
from that. It’s our
job to supplement
traditional
concessions
items with other
food and beverage amenities, but we’re not looking to get away from
standard concessions fare.
The mantra of Marcus Theatres is to serve the highest quality food
and beverage and concessions items, because we understand the importance
of offering items that exceed guest expectations. Consumers
have a preconceived notion of the quality found in movie theaters,
so we have spent time improving that perception with menu items
that meet or exceed traditional restaurant offerings. For example,
we cook all of our products from a scratch kitchen, where we focus
on executing quality in all aspects, from a cooking perspective to a
service standpoint. n
What innovation to today’s food and beverage landscape
in exhibition do you find most compelling?
For me, it’s in-auditorium dining because of the ability to help
people consolidate their time. Americans are often hard-pressed to
find time to go to dinner at a restaurant first and then to a movie.
Our Big Screen Bistro auditoriums enable them to do both at once
for a complete night out under one roof. Therefore, Marcus Theatres
strives to provide menu items with a level of quality such that the
consumer is willing to skip out on a traditional restaurant to instead
enjoy their meal inside our theaters.
What role do more traditional concessions—popcorn, soda,
candy, and so on—play in your theater today?
Traditional concessions items continue to be the base of our food
and beverage operation and the ones that touch the majority of our
guests. The two most important items that movie theaters sell are
fountain beverages and popcorn. Through our long-standing relationship
with Pepsi we have been able to offer our guests a diversified
lineup of drink options. Movie theater popcorn is considered the
premium popcorn as compared to microwavable popcorn at home
FEBRUARY 2017 BoxOffice ® 37