Having a glass of wine while watching summer blockbusters like ‘Barbie’ or ‘Oppenheimer’ on the big screen may no longer be reserved just for those sitting in Camana Bay Cinema’s VIP theatres, if the cinema’s application to extend its liquor licence is approved.
CB Cinemas Ltd., which owns the cinema, appeared before the Liquor Licensing Board’s annual session on Friday to ask permission to extend its existing liquor licence to cover all seven of its theatres.
The cinema is currently only licensed to sell alcohol to film-goers watching movies in its three VIP auditoriums.
Lawyer Ryan Charles, representing CB Cinemas, told the board that the sale of alcohol to movie-goers was becoming standard in many countries, as cinema houses worldwide struggle to stay afloat amid major competition from steaming services, online options and illegal pirating.
“Following the COVID-19 pandemic, a certain demographic of people prefer not to go to crowded areas and instead prefer to stay home and have access to movies rather than go to the cinema,” he added.
To respond to this, cinemas, including the one at Camana Bay, have attempted to make leaving one’s home to watch a movie an “experience”, at which sound and visual qualities have been improved over the years, “gourmet food” is offered and VIP auditoriums have been opened, he said.
Charles said $3 million had been invested in the cinema over the past five years to enhance services and make it an attractive option for film-lovers.
Concerns over under-age drinking at movies
Addressing concerns raised by board members about under-age cinema-goers accessing alcohol on the premises, Charles said currently staff ask for ID from people buying drinks at the VIP concession counter who appear to be under 21, though if the licence is extended to the general theatres, employees would be instructed to check IDs of anyone who looked under 25.
Members of the board suggested instead that all people buying alcohol should have their IDs checked.
Charles stated each person would be only be allowed to buy a single drink at a time, to prevent a person purchasing alcohol to share with minors inside the theatre.
Board chairman Noel Williams pointed out that the Liquor Licensing Board members had been “hesitant” to grant an alcohol licence for the VIP theatres when the matter came before them in 2018, “because it was the first time it was being introduced”.
He added, “It went from one [theatre] to two, and now to three. It was well organised, and we were of the mindset that it is a separate bar, a separate place to get alcohol, but now you’re asking to serve it at the main area and take it to all the cinemas.”
Noting that the sale of alcohol for the VIP area was currently “very controlled”, he queried how well regulated it would be if liquor were sold at the main concession area.
Charles said additional security would be provided at the cinema to prevent abuse. This would include staff regularly entering each theatre to monitor anyone underage drinking alcohol.
Corey Randolph, the cinema’s general manager, said some restructuring of operations may have to be done if, as suggested by Williams, the sale of alcohol would continue to take place only at the VIP area at the back of the cinema building or, at least, an area that would be separate from the main concessions.
Asked how the dark theatres – the largest of which can hold 200 people, are monitored, Randolph said staff are regularly sent into the auditoriums to makes checks, including ensuring anyone drinking is wearing the wristband provided when they buy alcohol at the bar. The cinema bar serves drinks in custom glasses, which the staff would recognise, he added.
There is also an upstairs window through which staff can monitor the auditorium from above. “We even have night-vision cameras that we can see very easily without disturbing guests,” he said.
Asked how the cinema would handle a situation of an adult sharing an alcoholic drink with a minor, Randolph said if staff found someone without a wristband drinking, they would pull them out of the theatre to ID them, “and if they are underage, we would escort them out of the building. If there are any further problems, we have security on site, and have police resources as well.”
The board said it would deliberate on the application and return its decision at a later date.
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