Is It OK to Sneak Food Into the Movies?

    The new Star Wars movie is starting. You’ve got soda, popcorn, and gummy worms. You spent your whole allowance on these snacks. But you don’t care. Treats make movies extra fun.

    The lights dim. Suddenly, you smell . . . tuna fish?! You turn around. Two rows back, some guy is eating a homemade sandwich. 

    Ugh. You want to throw popcorn at him and his stinky snack. But you paid a lot of money for that popcorn!

    The new Star Wars movie is starting. You’re ready. You’ve got soda, popcorn, and gummy worms. You spent your whole allowance on these snacks. But you don’t care. Treats are part of the fun.

    The lights dim. And then you smell . . . tuna fish?! You turn and look. Two rows back, some guy is eating a homemade sandwich. 

    Ugh. You want to throw popcorn at him. But you paid a lot for that popcorn!

    The new Star Wars movie is starting. You’ve got soda, popcorn, and gummy worms. You spent your entire allowance on these snacks, but that’s OK—treats make movies even more enjoyable.

    As the lights dim, you suddenly catch a whiff of . . . tuna fish?! You turn around. Two rows behind you, some guy is eating a homemade sandwich. 

    Ugh. You feel like throwing popcorn at the guy and his stinky snack—but that popcorn was really expensive!

    You’ve probably thought about sneaking food into the movies before. For one, the food at the snack counter is usually junk food. They’ve got nachos, candy, and ice cream. What if you want to eat something healthy?

    Then there are the prices. Why pay $5 for M&Ms when they cost so much less at the corner store? Movie theaters make a lot of money off of these snacks. That feels unfair. 

    In fact, movie theater popcorn has been called one of America’s biggest rip-offs. You might pay $8 for a tub of popcorn that cost the theater less than a dollar to make! 

    Plus you’re already paying a lot for your ticket. Movie tickets just keep getting more expensive. Don’t theater owners feel ashamed charging so much for snacks?

    Have you ever thought of sneaking food into the movies? If so, you’re not alone. The snack counter sells mostly junk food. There are nachos, candy, and ice cream. What if you want to eat healthy food?

    Then there are the prices. M&Ms can cost $5. They cost much less in a store. Theaters make a lot of money off of snacks. That feels unfair. 

    Movie theater popcorn has been called one of America’s biggest rip-offs. You might pay $8 for a tub of popcorn. That popcorn cost the theater less than a dollar to make! 

    Plus, ticket prices keep going up. So why do the snacks cost so much?

    You’ve probably considered sneaking food into the movies before. For one thing, the offerings at the concession counter usually consist of junk food such as nachos, candy, and ice cream. What if you want to eat something nourishing?

    Then there are the prices. Why pay $5 for M&Ms when you can purchase them at a convenience store for a fraction of that price? Movie theaters make what seems like an unreasonable amount of money off of these snacks. 

    Indeed, movie theater popcorn has been called one of America’s biggest rip-offs. You could easily pay $8 for a tub of popcorn that cost the theater less than a dollar to make! 

    To make matters worse, you’re already paying a lot for your ticket. Movie tickets are increasingly expensive. Don’t theater owners feel ashamed to charge so much for snacks?

    Theater owners say they need that snack money to stay in business. It costs a lot to run a theater. And about half of what you spend on a ticket goes to the people who made the movie you’re seeing, not the theater owner.  

    Owners need money to pay employees, keep the buildings clean, and more. “There’s only one way that we can pay for everything,” says theater owner Jon Goldstein. And that’s by charging a lot for snacks.

    If people were to stop buying food at the movies, theater owners would have to raise ticket prices even higher. Some theaters might even need to shut down.

    Theater owners say they need that snack money. It costs a lot to run a theater. And about half of the ticket price goes to the people who made the movie you’re seeing. The theater owner doesn’t keep it all.  

    Owners need to pay workers. They need to keep the buildings clean. And there’s more they have to pay for. Jon Goldstein is a theater owner. “There’s only one way that we can pay for everything,” he says. And that’s by charging a lot for snacks.

    If people were to stop buying food at the movies, ticket prices would go up even more. Some theaters might shut down.

    Theater owners say they need that snack money to stay in business. Operating a theater is expensive—and about half of what you spend on a ticket goes to the people who made the movie you’re seeing, not the theater owner.  

    Owners need money to pay employees, maintain the buildings, and more. “There’s only one way that we can pay for everything,” explains theater owner Jon Goldstein—and that’s by charging high prices for snacks.

    If customers were to stop purchasing food at the movies, theater owners would have to raise ticket prices even higher—and some theaters might even be forced out of business.

    There is another reason not to sneak food into the movies. It’s against the rules. Some theaters will kick you out if they catch you. 

    But the possibility of being punished isn’t the only reason to follow the rules. We follow rules all the time out of respect. Sneaking food into the movies is kind of like bringing your own food to a restaurant. It’s just rude.

    So what’s the solution? 

    Well, here’s a crazy idea: Eat before the movie. 

    There is one more reason not to sneak food into the movies. It’s against the rules. If you get caught, you could get kicked out. 

    Of course, you might not get caught. But we follow rules out of respect. Sneaking food into the movies is like bringing your own food to a restaurant. It’s rude.

    So what can you do? 

    Here’s an idea: Eat first. Then go to the movies.

    Another reason not to smuggle food into the movies is simply that it’s against the rules. Some theaters will kick you out if they catch you. 

    But the possibility of being punished isn’t the only reason to follow the rules. We regularly follow rules out of respect, and nothing more. Sneaking food into the movies is similar to bringing your own food to a restaurant: It’s just rude.

    So what’s the solution? Well, here’s a groundbreaking idea: Eat before the movie.