Welcome to BigScreenBiz.com

We're a single screen in a small town that has gotten wiped out in the last 5 months by a 10-screen chain
operation that moved into town. A 10-screen in a town of 14,000! I know they're nuts but they still have deep enough pockets to wipe us out. The popcorn & drinks start at $3.00 where ours is $1.00. We're close to throwing in the towel but wonder how draft beer would go along with sub-runs and art house stuff. Maybe some pizza & hot pretzels. Anybody got any thoughts on beer and pizza?

Sorry to hear of your plight, pal... 10 screens in a 14k town is pure NONSENSE, and no matter HOW deep their pockets, I'd bet the family jewels within a year they'll be swimming in red ink!... The "new" will have worn off by then, and your old regulars will start trickling back... IF you can hold on for a while, you have a damned good chance of out-lasting 'em... They'll soon tire of pouring money down the sewer, and things don't look all that "rosy" for the next few months: their expenses HAVE to be a LOT higher than yours, and they click, click, click along EVERY day... Bet they aren't making their nut 2 days a week as soft as things are right now, so I'd grit my teeth, cut your overhead to the bone, and try to hold on for the next few months... I realize you're grasping for straws right now, but I don't think pizza and beer is the answer... Check the "theater for sale" post in the lobby, and you'll realize you're NOT alone... Things go in the toilet every so often, and it looks like this is gonna be one of those times... Overbuilding will eventually die of its own greed and gluttony,'cause there's only SO MUCH business, and ALL it does is SPREAD the available business amoung more screens, BUT the expenses increase proportionally because of the extra screens... Hang in there pal, and with a little decent luck economics will eventually cure your troubles...

That's similar to what happened to a friend of mine. Keep up a good presentation, good staff, great food items, and hope to have the best booker on the planet. Getting product will be harder, but not impossible. As for beer and pizza. Well....do you have a stainless steel prep area? Proper sink. The space? Plus, employees that are old enough to sell beer? We checked into it, and that is what we faced. No one under the age of 18 permitted behind the snack bar. Licensed bartender at all operating times. Drunks and spilled beer. Think soda smells in an auditorium, wait to you have to clean up beer. Think twice about beer. Upgrade your concession items, adding new and tasty treats. We sell J&J gourmet pretzels (jalapeno,pizza,creamcheese & chive), bagel dogs. A 10 screener in your area will have a much harder time of turning a profit, even with good product. The overhead will eventually kill them. But, it takes time. Give 'em a while and they will choke on their own greed. If you have a clean theatre, staffed with great people, and good product...YOU will survive. I live in a town with a 10 screener and a 3 screener. The 3 screener is still around. Its old, but staffed with some of the nicest people and management team. Their overhead is much smaller than the huge mulitplex down the street. They, the 3 screener, have an agressive booker. That causes grief to the 10 screeners booker. Good luck, hang in there. They will have a tough time come Jan-April.

Thanks both you guys for your encouragement and
good words. I'm going to dig my heels in and give
them a run for their money.
Your pep talk has given me a positive resolve and I'm
going to stick it out.