I’m a pretty hardcore movie fan. When I’m in a groove, I’m watching 2-3 movies a week. But, this is almost always in the comfort of my living room. My wife and I splurged a few years ago on a nice home theater system, and it’s paid off in so many entertaining hours of movie nights, not to mention NFL Sundays for me.
Needless to say, I am rarely tempted by the junk food that populates movie theater lobbies. With the exception of Avatar a few weeks back, I don’t recall the last movie I’ve seen in theaters. But, for the millions of others who make their local cineplexes a regular destination, they may – or may not – crave a few healthier options to choose from. From my perspective, if I’m going to fork over $12 on a drink and some popcorn, I’d prefer something not just a little healthier, but more substantial.
Theaters have made a point of adding more food items to their menus in the last 5-10 years, but the choices are still usually not much to write home about. Well, health food advocates have a Hollywood heavyweight in their corner now. Michael Lynton, chairman and chief executive officer for Sony Pictures, is calling on movie theaters to offer healthier snacks as a way to fight obesity, not to mention give moviegoers more food choices.
Lynton announced at the theater owners’ annual ShoWest convention that a survey by Sony at 26 nationwide theaters found that two-thirds of movie-goers said they would likely buy healthy food if it was available.
“I don’t mean close the window for popcorn, soda and candy. Audiences love them and should always be able to buy them at your theaters,” Lynton said in the keynote address as the four-day convention opened. “I can almost imagine the Romans eating popcorn and drinking Coke at the Coliseum 2,000 years ago. Or the Greeks munching on Sno-Caps at the Theatre of Dionysus in Athens.”
According to Lynton, those who were surveyed suggested foods such as fruit cups, vegetables with dip, yogurt, granola bars, baked chips, and unbuttered, air-popped popcorn.
I don’t know how many people will buy fruit at movie theaters, but they could be convinced to buy things like air-popped popcorn, yogurt, or granola bars.
(via: The Associated Press)
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