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BusyBee wrote:
So, Bee, do you mix this in front of the customer?
I've long had an issue -- and I suffer it with cans -- with the perception of value. Mixing a 25 cent packet of hot chocolate in front of the customer and charging $3 is always a tough spot. Same for the Keurig...charging $3 for a 50 cent K-Cup.

Or do you have this "in the back" where it is made/mixed out of sight so the value perception is still there?

Yes, we mix it in front of them. I initially was uncomfortable with this for the same reason you cite. When I took over management of our theater they were using packets, which I found really tacky. The reason I feel comfortable with this now is that I realized coffee/tea/hot chocolate is really just something I keep on hand for the few customers who really want a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and come up looking specifically for that. Using the tubs with metal coffee scoops instead of packets looks slightly less tacky. I would prefer people buy soda. On our coffee, we offer a free refill, and we get a lot of compliments because it is fresh brewed and we use locally roasted beans.

Bottles and cans: for years we thought we did not have room for the fountain soda because not only that but we'd have to have ice. We only sold cans: it was really fast and did not slow up the line. Takes one second to slap it down with a Twizzler and we did not want to slow down our line by pouring from back of concession. We eventually: 1. went to one wide door to each theatre which was right and left / bookending/ the concession stand. This allowed us to build a wider longer concession stand with a self serve station at the far end. Now we just slap down a cup and people serve themselves. It increased our profits on soda by about 10K. It paid for the concession stand and lobby refit and ice machine in the first year. By the way we still stock some limited stuff in cans. Like Moxie!

Cans and bottles two: I can see where if you had an upscale crowd there is a plethora of novel and exotic sodas these days, shadows of the beer world, and it's all in glass but cool in cans too. But you really do lose the profit margin one drink at a time. I think you could still have the fountain: yes ....cool hipsters still like fountain drinks.

Fountain: the worst thing about cans and bottles is there are no "large" options, no refills. People do not come back out and buy a 2nd can of soda. But they come back for refills. Also: we were selling cans for 1.50 and we sell a "large" fountain for 3.50 and it costs less to us overall than a can of soda so our gross and profits are much better.

A few years into my owning theatres I opened a 2nd theatre and did not think twice about anything but a self serve fountain. Although we do have some cans there as well for oddball selections. It took another 7-8 years to convince my darling wife to make the switch in the theatre she commands. And yes... she admits it was a good idea to make the switch.

Respect the fountain!

I only sell 99 cent cans, & 1.89 20 oz plastic bottles. Pepsi supplied the refrigerators/merchandisers. We have well water at our drive-in with a sulfur taste. I'd have to buy pre-mix. The bottles are recloseable & car friendly. No cups, no lids, no straws, no ice, no maintenance, no re-fills

I'm stiill 'perusing' the old postings to see what's being done; since I work in a gas station currently and sell just about everything mainly 'bad for you'... I have often thought that Red Bull/Rockstar/Monster out to get together and come up with a 'fountain' machine... "Pressure" from you ( established theaters) might help, if you think your patrons would want such... I think this would have 'mass appeal' since customers/patrons wouldn't have to pay as much as they do now for a can... initially... does this have any merit? (Possibly, cost in a legit. theater might be about the same, but just 'throwing it out there ' - basic concept: having Red Bull, et. al. 'on tap' ...