Regal Cinemas Theater
Regal Cinema Name Tags
It wasn’t forever ago that chain cinemas such as AMC, Regal Cinemas, and Cinemark USA were established, and since their establishment, there have been various changes in how cinemas are run. From Hollywood and the Golden Age, to watching new releases from the comfort of your couch through streaming services, cinema customer service has played a key role in the transition of movie consumption in the United States. These items, donated by Noah and Courtney Mason, mark a shift in the role that concession stands, and theatre workers engage with customers. Received in 2018, the name tags, a required part of Regal uniform, was a way to present a friendly face with a name to customers who visited the concessions stand to get their movie snacks. However, what happens when customers no longer need to visit the concession stands within theatres, and can consume new releases through advancing streaming services? How have theatres tried to combat this rising convenience?
The history of the concession stands marks an integral part of theatre culture in the United States. It was not until the Great Depression when concessions became increasingly desired by theatre owners and moviegoers. In fact, during the 1910s and 1920s, theatre owners were often frustrated by the trash and mess that accompanied the cafes, snack bars, and candy shops which were incorporated into and around movie theatres. Nevertheless, external vendors continued to sell candy and other desired snacks outside of theaters for moviegoers to sneak into their screening!
During the Great Depression, when theatres struggled to make ends meet, theatre owners sought alternative sources of revenue. Popcorn as a theatre snack, purchased at a concession stand, found its way into popular culture during World War II, when corn became a highly essential crop. Corn was framed as a patriotic and healthy alternative to candy. The popcorn industry boomed in 1946, which led to various other snacks and treats being incorporated into movie theatres. What began as a slow moving, cafeteria style, process of receiving theatre snacks at drive-in theatre, became a faced paced concessions stand that not only provided efficient customer service but also saved families time by providing a one-stop shop for snacks and a movie. Concession stands also produced a great deal of revenue for theatres, where contracts with the movie industry failed to support staff wages and theatre maintenance.
Today, in various theatres across the world, concession stands have transformed into box offices as well, where customers can buy their movie tickets and movie snacks all in one swipe! In this way, it greatly reduces the role of multiple staff members and is a model which works to compete with the streaming industry, where movies are becoming more and more accessible from the comfort of your home. Additionally, customers can submit mobile orders so that their snacks are ready upon arrival! Thus, concession employees, such as the two depicted above, have essentially become the backbone of theatres across the country! Nevertheless, the concession stand plays a remarkable role in the way in which Americans envision theatre culture and is a must-stop shop when visiting local movie theatres for the newest release!
Sources:
Hull, Lucy. “'The Second Box Office’: An Economic and Cultural History of the Concession Stand in American Cinema Exhibition.” Dissertation, University College London, 2021.
“Movie Theater Point of Sale: Revolutionizing Ticket Sales.” Filmgrail, December 8, 2023. https://filmgrail.com/blog/movie-theater-point-of-sale-revolutionizing-ticket-sales/.
Pellettieri, Jill Hunter. “A Short History of Movie Theater Concession Stands. plus: A Candy Quiz!” Slate Magazine, June 26, 2007. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2007/06/a-short-history-of-movie-theater-concession-stands-plus-a-candy-quiz.html.