Cinema with wine: New York cinemas now serve alcohol

Let's all go to the hall, let's all go to the hall, let's all go to the hall for ... beer. Cinemas can now serve wine and beer in shopping kiosks. Moviegoers are allowed to take their drinks to the cinema for screenings. The State Liquor Regulatory Authority voted unanimously on this on January 19, reports New York Post.

Previously, theaters could only sell drinks if they had a license. restaurants with a fully equipped kitchen and waiters who served alcohol to diners at their seats, or a pub license that restricted drinking at the table, often in the lobby.

“Right now they have to consume [drinks] very quickly in the lobby, which is not a good thing,” Joe Meisher, COO of Bow Tie Cinemas, told the board ahead of the vote.

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Meisher, who runs upstate wine and beer theaters, says none of the theaters have ever had problems with overstocking.

"We've never had a problem in any of our theaters ... not a single incident," he said.

Under the new rule, movie theaters that only serve popcorn and other snacks can now sell wine, beer and cider as long as it's not the "primary source of income" for the business. Previously, theaters could only sell alcohol if they had a restaurant or tavern license.

Strong drinks will be sold only with a restaurant license

Selling hard liquor is still not allowed unless they have a restaurant license and serve drinks to the moviegoer's seat, as does the Alamo Drafthouse in downtown Brooklyn and several other networks.

Tim League, owner of Alamo, said he welcomes the competition and has no plans to change his food and drink model.

“[We] built our business with the initial understanding that beer goes really well with movies,” he told The Post. "I've always had an 'all ships rise' philosophy with the film industry, so I'm glad other places in New York can now offer this convenience."

Despite looming changes, his theater will still be one of the few in the city that sells spirits and restaurant-quality food.

“[We] are on course! We have been serving food since 1997; this is who we are,” he stressed.

On January 19, the board approved the measure after members of the National Association of Theater Owners said their industry needed to be given the same beverage sales privileges as other non-restaurant businesses, including hairdressers, art studios and marketplaces.

The change takes effect immediately, but the council said it could be months before moviegoers see alcohol in their local theaters due to the licensing process.