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We sell bottled water and give a 12 oz. "courtesy cup for free" but charge the same as sodas for our regular size cups of water. How does everyone else handle this? We have always done it this way, but lately have been getting more complaints about it so I was wondering what everyone does about it. I was thinking that there was an earlier thread on this, but could not find it using the search, so if I'm repeating, I'm sorry.

We sell bottled water.
If someone doesn't want to buy the bottled water, we can give them small 14oz cups (Courtesty cups) that they can take to the water fountain and get water.
If someone would want a larger cup filled with water, they would need to pay the full price for the soda. (Our cups are the inventoried item)

I sell bottled water ($1.50) and it does sell which is pretty insane here. I mean, we have the same water coming out of our taps that is put in many of those bottles! I do not have a drinking fountain. I sell tap water for .20 for a 12oz. cup and .50 for a 32 oz. cup with ice. I do not have courtesy cups unless somebody comes up to the counter choking.

We sell Crystal Geyser water for $1.75 soon to be $2.00 for the 20oz size.

We also have pitchers of water on the counter with a stack of 12oz courtisy cups next to it.

Two things happen that always drive me to distraction:

1. Someone asks if the water is free...? No, we always leave product out on the counter where the public can just waltz off with it.

2. A group of little old ladies pipe up and exclaim that isn't it nice that this theatre provides free water. Then they don't buy anyting at the concession stand and I think, 'you cheap hens, buy something!' They don't know that everytime they compliment us on the water, they are twisting a little knife in my gut. Buy a little popcorn, would ya?

We have the bottled water and a drinking fountain. One or the other, that's that. The little kids seem to like the fountain and the bigger kids and adults buy the bottles. Me, save the plastic bottles, boil tap water and emty it into the bottles. That way I look cool for free!

In spite of the fact that we offer "Free Water" our bottled water sales are 40% of our specialty drinks. Specialty drinks are items that are not soda. We have Water, Lemonade, Crystal Geyser Juice Sqeeze, Orange Juice, Apple Juice and all the coffee products.

This means that no matter what, you should carry bottled water.

We sell water four ways of which 3 are bottles: $2.00 for 33.8 oz, $1.50 for 24 oz, and $1.00 for .5 liters. They sell really well and they are among our highest profit items.

The fourth way is .25 for a cup of water with lid and ice. The .25 is really for the cup - we will be happy to refill or you can use the drinking fountain. The reason why we charge for the cup is not to make a profit but to make a statement. After observing what goes on in other theaters we have found that too many people abuse you if you provide free cups. They will bring in their own beverages and use your free cups to give everyone their own drink. This also plays out at the stand when they buy the monster drink and then want you to pour it into all the little cups, then refill the monster container. (No,I am not kidding!) Therefore, we charge for the cups and cut down on the senseless garbage that goes on. I occasionally waive the .25 when I have somebody spending serious money at the stand and I never charge for certain situations like chewing tobacco spitting cups or ice in a cup for a cut or bruise. We have very few complaints about this policy because we always tell people upfront what we are doing and why. They know that we are discount and while they can get free cups at other theaters they cost a lot more to get in.
If anyone wants water in a bigger cup they would have to pay the same price as a soda, but we all know that is really an inventory problem.
Ocassionally I will get a kid who only wants water with their Kid Pack. Then they get a choice of tap water in the plastic cup they would normally get soda in or the small bottled water. Their choice - so they are happy.

The "courtesy cups our theatre had were not a courtesy they were more of a put down. like a 7 oz puny thing. I don't understand the bottled water sales craze I could not keep it in stock. and look at the profit on it. an $11 case of water sells for $54 and sometimes you can get it cheaper than that.

Oregon has a law that restaurants, movie theaters, etc. are required to provide free water. It can be a drinking fountain, or a courtesy cup, but you can't charge anything for it no matter what.

We have a drinking fountain or 16.9 oz bottled waters for $1.00. Thats it, unless someone needs to take a pill or is coughing or something else that actually would warrant the 'need' for water. We have people who complain, but I think they still would if we gave it away.

Even though they're required to provide free water, theaters here still seem to sell a lot of bottled water. $3 or $3.25 (depending on where) for a 20 oz. Dasani.

Gee, with all this talk about the high price of water, has anyone though of investing in a water purifier and bottleing your own?

$3 for a 20 oz Dasani, and I complain about the price of gas? (the beauty of it is, they still pay it)