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Any theatre out there selling peanuts, etc? What kind of packages, types, sizes, and selling prices? I've had a handful of customers request nuts.

Closest I come to selling peanuts are M&M's, Goobers, and Paydays. I had a husband/wife-I think first cousins-come in one time and eat a whole big bag of peanuts in the shell and then spill their entire large drinks all over the discarded shells on the floor. I was livid. Funny thing was they forgot something and had to come back in to get it. I was then able to reprimand them for their inability to understand and follow the rules and for their general lack of courtesy and common decency. They have been back, but do not bring any peanuts with them anymore.

Peanuts fall into that "salty snack" line.We all sell popcorn at a tremendously higher profit than we could sell peanuts for. So, I wouldn't think of it. Those are the types of things that if you add it, it will cannabalize the sales of the more profitable ones.

I really have never given a thought to nuts. But I can see that it could be a possibility. It would mean more space for the bins at your concession stand. I guess you'd give them out in bags of different sizes. It would be interesting at any rate to poll the patrons and see what they thought.

We have experimented with small bags of nuts and not found that they sold at all well. We are never averse to trying something later in a different form, but haven't found anything else that we wanted to try. We also have a few people who simply must bring in their own bag of peanuts in the shell or pecans or pistachio nuts and proceed to shell them on the floor and eat them. I find this somewhat disgusting as it can involve a lot of spit too but we put up with it and just clean up the spot where they sat. I don't think that these would be customers for the concession stand purchase of nuts. Most often they buy little or nothing at the concession stand. Remember that some of these nuts are actually quite inexpensive and I suspect that these people are cheapskates who will bring it in but would never buy it from us.

[This message has been edited by BECKWITH1 (edited October 17, 2002).]

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[This message has been edited by BECKWITH1 (edited October 17, 2002).]

At the Drive-In Owners conference in Orlando back in February, we had a representative the "The Nutty Bavarian" give us his sales pitch & demonstration of the line of "glazed nut" products. You make them up in the theatre with there machine, and the aroma of the nuts and stuff fills the lobby full of a great tempting smell. Much like popcorn does. Several of the other drive-in owners actually bought some of the machines, and started selling them at their concessions over the summer. Most have had good results.

The machine requires NO exhaust hood, so that is a plus in most theatre operations.

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Barry Floyd
Floyd Entertainment Group
Lebanon, Tennessee

Stardust Drive-In Theatre
Watertown, Tennessee

We sell Beer-Nuts and Beer Nuts Old Fashions. They sell slow to moderately well, but they have a good shelf life and we don't need to order a tremendous amount from our supplier. I don't feel they detract from our popcorn sales...after all, we're popping the corn on-site and the smell still sells best. But, for a few crusty old curmudegeons, selling Beer Nuts seems to make the happy we're catering to their tastes, too. We've also tried peanut butter crackers...(don't do it, or that's all you'll be having for dinner every night).

The Nutty Bavarian makes a really tasty product. I've been tempted. Who has used it?

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Mike,

I agree with you about the tastiness of the Nutty Bavarian's products. I tasted them last year at the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association Conference in Florida. They not only tasted great, they are freshly made on-site and have a very tempting aroma about them, just as Barry said. The aroma lures you to them sort of the way Cinnabon products lure you in.



[This message has been edited by Starlite Cinema (edited November 07, 2002).]