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Treasure Coast theaters are wining, dining patrons to compete with streaming services
Movie theaters are rolling out the red carpet to entice people to get off the couch and participate in an entertainment experience away from home.
In this age of streaming services, theaters — including some on the Treasure Coast — are adding luxury amenities such as reclining seats, local craft beer and food options that go beyond popcorn.
They're also showing popular movies that appeal most to local audiences including superhero series, action-packed blockbusters, scary films and the latest animated adventures.
To encourage repeat visits they're rewarding loyalty with free tickets, popcorn and other discounts through subscription plans.
“Today if you want to attract viewers into movie theaters, you have to make it a social event,” said Jim Fosina, CEO of Fosina Marketing Group, based in Danbury, Connecticut. “You have to make it feel like they’re sitting in the comfort of their own home.”
Why change?
Fewer people are watching movies in theaters.
Movie admissions in the U.S. and Canada in 2017 hit a 10-year low, falling 6 percent to 1.24 billion tickets sold, according to the Motion Picture Association of America.
To combat a decline in box office receipts, movie theaters have adapted to the changing habits of movie fans.
“The event of seeing a movie in a movie theater today is very different than what it was five, 10 or 15 years ago,” Fosina said.
Today, there are so many ways to view movies. For example, large flat screens have become more affordable, making it easier to stream recent blockbusters months after the theatrical debut.
There's also the convenience of streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and others that can be used on smartphones and other digital devices.
Theaters have realized a night at the movies has to be about more than what's on the big screen.
“It becomes an attractive place to go and something you look forward to because the movie itself isn’t necessarily the driver anymore," Fosina said.
He points to young people as a major reason theaters needed to change.
“Especially with Millennial and Gen Z, they are happier to watch movies on their mobile device on their lap sitting in the comfort of their own home," Fosina said.
Movie theaters have to be more than just a hangout, he said. "People have to want to go."
Local adaption
Two local theaters have already become part of the nation’s "luxury" class. They’ve brought in large recliners, booze and have more than candy, popcorn and nachos. There's pizza, burgers, boneless wings, mozzarella sticks, cheesecake and tiramisu.
At the Touchstar Cinemas Sabal Palms Luxury 6 in Fort Pierce, employees deliver your food and drinks straight to your chair.
We're a full service theater,” said Amanda Hayek, a manager at the Treasure Coast's newest theater, which opened in August 2017. "Everybody is surprised to find a movie theater with a bar and many people have taken advantage of that.”
The upgrades appear to be working at a theater once remembered for its sticky floors. Nearly $1 million was spent to transform the former Nova Cinemas, which closed in 2015, into a new experience.
MORE: Prepare to be pampered at new Fort Pierce movie theater
“We’ve had a great year,” Hayek said, adding Friday and Saturday are the most popular nights and superhero and scary movies are the most popular genres.
Aside from the comfort factor, Kayla Senger, of Port St. Lucie, said she was impressed by the new theater’s low ticket prices, which are $11.49 for an evening adult ticket including a popcorn.
Recliner tickets come with free popcorn except on Tuesdays when tickets are $5 for all seats.
“The recliners and full service were quite effective at enhancing the movie experience for me,” said Senger, an Indian River State College student. “They make it much more enjoyable and comfortable.”
'The magic elixir'
Months after the Fort Pierce debut, recliners were installed at Regal Treasure Coast Mall Stadium 16 in Jensen Beach. Additional food options were added such as street tacos, stonefire pizza and desserts like Molten Chocolate Lava Cake. Wine and beer also are on tap.
Regal, now owned by Cineworld Group, slowly has been upgrading its theaters and has added recliners to 27 percent of theaters, according to company documents.
“The magic elixir has been recliners. People love that," said Michael Pachter, analyst with Wedbush Securities, who watches the movie industry. You get people more comfortable going and they will return.”
The downside of recliners is theaters have fewer seats, which in some cases means moviegoers need to buy tickets earlier to reserve seats or miss out. Reserved seating is available when you purchase at Regal and Touchstar.
At the Fort Pierce theater, for instance, seating capacity went from 1,000 to 450 with the larger leather seats.
On the plus side, there are fewer empty seats.
“They’re selling more tickets in the recliner theaters,” Pachter said. “It’s just a better experience."
At Cinépolis Jupiter, luxury goes a step further with in-theater waiter service and dining with a full bar. The recliner seats also have a button to press for a popcorn refill or to order another drink.
Soon, an app upgrade is expected to let you place and pay for orders without the need to talk.
More than popcorn
The luxury theaters have learned when moviegoers are more comfortable, they tend to spend more on food and drinks.
Concessions are where the real money is for the theaters. Adding more food and alcohol options are ways theaters have been reinventing themselves.
“Through these sorts of upgrades, industry operators have been able to increase the value they provide to consumers, increasing the amount of revenue per consumer and further differentiating themselves amid high external competition,” wrote IBISWorld analyst Anna Miller in her April 2018 report “Movie Theaters in the U.S.”
In 2017,
The Hollywood Reporter went as far as to call booze “the new popcorn” and “the next step in cinemas' fight against flagging attendance.”
The AMC Port St Lucie 14 has upgraded its concessions and has a MacGuffins Bar.
The St. Lucie West theater, which previously was a Rave Motion Pictures theater and then Carmike before being purchased by AMC in 2017, serves beer and premium wine by the glass.
AMC's upgraded menu nationwide includes chicken-and-waffle sandwiches and stone-fired flatbread pizzas.
French fries, boneless wings and pizza are the top sellers at the Fort Pierce theater, Hayek said.
Future upgrades?
Although other Treasure Coast theaters have not announced plans to modernize, experts think it will be necessary for survival.
“These theaters are competing with so much other new content that is being delivered exclusively through streaming that it is crushing to new releases,” Fosina said.
AMC Theatres have been installing recliners and making upgrades at theaters for the past decade and although the Port St. Lucie theater now has a bar, recliners are not planned.
Company spokesman Ryan Noonan said “at this time we do not have any renovation plans to announce” for the two Treasure Coast AMC locations.
Even without upgrades, local theaters still have their fans and are busiest on the weekends and on Tuesdays when most offer discounts because it's typically the least busiest day as people are holding out for the new releases.
The discounts vary by theater and at the Stuart Regency Cinemas, the Treasure Coast’s oldest movie theater, it is geared toward seniors and includes a senior ticket, popcorn and drink for $9.50.
Vero Beach resident Spike Vrusho said the Majestic Theatre has the best rewards program and he often gets free movie tickets and popcorn.
“I don't know the reward formula but every so often I receive a reward,” Vrusho said. “Also $5 senior ticket is nice.”
