Over-the-top specialty concessions at theaters aren’t new, but they are newly everywhere.
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On a recent Tuesday, Sidney Hans finished a shift working in retail and ducked into a movie theater in downtown Manhattan. He was ready to treat himself. But the main attraction wasn’t on the big screen.
It was in a cup — a cerulean vodka cocktail with a foam float and a crown of gummy worms perched languidly on top.
Mr. Hans, 23, had clocked a poster advertising the novelty drink — which tastes a bit like a Razz Apple Magic Fun Dip — the week before, when he’d gone to see “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” Named the Sandworm Slayer, the cocktail was a limited-time concession at AMC Theaters to celebrate the sequel, and after several days had passed, Mr. Hans was ready to try it — for $24.86.
“It was definitely refreshing,” Mr. Hans said. “It reminded me of Hawaiian Punch. It helped me feel more relaxed during the film.” He had finished the drink and fished out the worms, which were saturated with liquid, by the time credits rolled.
Movie theaters, which have struggled with declining attendance for decades, are increasingly turning to specialty concessions like the Sandworm Slayer to lure Americans back through their doors. Across the country, one can now find themselves within a popcorn kernel’s throw of a theater serving elote flatbreads, Mike’s Hot Honey milkshakes, chocolate-hazelnut filled churros, three-meat strombolis and a host of other items that would make a character in “The Flick” groan.
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