Boxoffice-January.07.1950

As the First in a Cross-Country Series,
This Is the Analysis of a Typical Middle-
Sized City's Theatre Snack Bars
THEATREMEN ARE NOW FINDING
A NEW SOURCE OF PROFITS IN
HARTFORD. CONN.
Population, 166,267
by
ALLEN M. WIDEM
, N Hartford, Conn., where the
majority of theatres were built a couple of
decades ago and much of the new theatre
construction wave is still unfelt, refreshment
service is slowly becoming recognized
as an untapped source of extra theatre
revenue both by circuit and independent
theatremen alike.
Among the features which stand out as
peculiarities of the city's theatre snack bars
are the virtual absence of soft drinks in
refreshment service, the lack of room for
the addition of adequate refreshment
booths and the casualness with which this
branch of theatre promotion seems to have
been viewed.
As evidence of this "awakening," four of
the six downtown "A" theatres in Hartford
contain refreshment service facilities either
created or drastically remodeled within the
past two years. The only downtown "A"
house not now offering patrons a full refreshment
service is making plans to add
this feature within the near future.
In the downtown "B" houses and the
neighborhood theatres, lack of lobby and
foyer space makes it difficult for exhibitors
to comply with patron requests for greater
refreshment service.
An additional reason for feeling that refreshment
service is just coming into its
own is the current comparison of vending
machines with full-sized candy stands. In
the downtown Loew's Poll Palace, a firstrun
house, the only refreshment service has
been supplied by one vending machine on
the auditorium floor and another on the
mezzanine. In recent months, however, the
1,800-seater has been undergoing extensive
remodeling which includes an entirely new
lounge, general redecorating, and plans for
installation of a new refreshment stand.
In planning the refreshment bar, Harry
P. Shaw, Loew's Poll -New England Theatres
circuit division manager, and FVed R.
Greenway, manager of the Poll Palace, have
figured potential revenue and have studied
the operation of other stands closely.
Left, the refreshment stand at Warners' 900-seat, first run Regal Theatre
in downtown Hartford is tucked away under the balcony stairway. This stand,
operated under lease by a concession specialist, offers candy and popcorn.
A film trailer is used to promote sales at the stand
Below, a second Warner Bros downtown first run house is the Strand where
this modern, well-designed refreshment service stand gets a good play from
theatregoers Also operated by a concession firm, the stand affords patrons
ice cream, candy and popcorn. As in the case of the Regal, a Pronto popcorn
warmer is used
20 The MODERN THEATRE SECTION