
The lights go down as the movie is about to start. Then you see someone pull a taco from her backpack. The three biggest theater chains in the U.S.—AMC, Regal Cinemas, and Cinemark—don’t allow outside food. But that doesn’t stop people from bringing their own snacks anyway.
A lot of moviegoers who bring outside food into theaters want to avoid paying the high prices at snack stands. At many theaters, a large popcorn and drink costs about as much as a movie ticket.
But many people point out that some theaters earn about 40 percent of their money from the sale of food and drinks. Sneaking in your own snacks hurts the theater’s business.