Movie snacks are almost as big a deal as the movie itself. But some theaters have come up with rules that seem rather unexpected, and not in a good way. Here are twelve snacks that have genuinely been banned at many movie theaters temporarily or permanently.
What’s your favorite movie theater snack?
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Popcorn
During the early 1910s, movie palaces wanted to be more like fancy stage theaters. This meant that popcorn was banned. The mess & the crunching, as well as the “street food” image, didn’t match the velvet seats & chandeliers. Ushers would literally stop people from carrying it in. It’s funny to think about now, since it’s the most popular movie snack.
Chewing gum
GQT Movies is one of the few chains that has officially banned gum from its theaters. Yes, really. They actually write it into their rules online, grouping it with vaping devices & other don’ts. Most people don’t notice others chewing gum. But it apparently happens enough that they had to ban it. They were probably also tired of scraping gum off the seats.
Pickles
Most Texans love pickles. But in the 1950s, Dallas’s Melba Theater refused to let pickles in. Why? It’s because they sprayed special scents into the air system during shows & didn’t want the dill smell overpowering it. Their ban also included popcorn.
Crunchy ice
You can walk in with a giant cup of just ice & chomp through it at some theaters. But not all of them. Several theaters have become fed up because the sound carries all over the room. On top of that, ushers had to deal with cleaning the puddles under the seats. It was such a mess. So much so that some managers said no more ice chewing.
Sunflower seeds
A few shells here & there would be okay, but some ushers had to deal with whole rows covered in sunflower seeds. Cleaning crews had to sweep them up after every show. Eventually, theater officials banned sunflower seeds entirely. Can you blame them? They’re too messy & too sticky. They’re also much too gross for carpets.
Ice cream cones
Ice cream cones seem delicious until the lights go out. After dealing with enough melted ice cream dripping into cupholders & hardened on fabric, some theaters have banned the snack. Some cups or tubs occasionally slip through. Yet the ushers will directly call out anybody with cones that they see.
Pizza slices
Yes, pizza is actually on the do-not-bring lists at some theaters. But not necessarily because it’s loud. Nope, it’s the boxes that are the issue because the grease from the cardboard seeps onto seats. The leftover crusts usually end up shoved into cupholders. All that hardened cheese on the upholstery is something staff doesn’t want to deal with anymore.
Coffee
Hot drinks are innocent enough until they aren’t. A few unlucky theaters dealt with incidents where lids popped off & coffee went everywhere. The carpets? They stayed sticky for weeks. People have also burned their hands in the dark when drinks tipped. The managers soon decided coffee just wasn’t worth the trouble. That makes sense.
Hard-boiled eggs
One small theater in the Midwest apparently had people sneaking in eggs. Hard-boiled ones. As you can imagine, the smell filled the room almost immediately & people nearby started complaining. It didn’t matter that patrons sealed them in plastic containers. It was too strong. So strong, in fact, that the staff officially banned people from bringing them.
Peanuts
At a few smaller cinemas, peanuts aren’t even allowed through the doors. The noise & trash aren’t even the issue. It’s simply because of serious allergy concerns, as it just takes a bit of residue left on an armrest to cause issues for some people. Many ushers would rather play it safe. And that means keeping peanuts outside.
Soda cans
Soda cans make a lot more noise than people realize. They also create constant cleanup issues. Anytime someone drops them, the rattling carries across the room & half-finished drinks leak under seats. Theaters decided to cut them out. That’s not to say you can’t drink at all, you just have to keep drinks in bottles or fountain cups.
Candy apples
Seats and candy apples don’t mix well. The coating hardens onto upholstery whenever someone leaves it behind & it’s not something people can clean quickly. It’s worse when you consider the short turnover times between shows. Theaters banned them outright. They wanted to avoid bringing out scrapers and hot water every time.
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