Dine n’ Dash

Recently AMC Theatres has transformed a handful of its multiplexes into "Dine-In Theatres." After purchasing a ticket (which costs around $25), the price of which includes both the meal and the movie, time can be spent in the lobby, which features a bar, lounge area and several flat screen TVs. About half an hour before a film starts, moviegoers are let into the theater. There, waiters will take orders from a fair selection of items on the menu, and the food is served at the beginning of the film.

While that all may sound nice in theory, in practice it doesn't work out so well. The waiting area may be nice, but it becomes far too crowded during peak hours. As theaters aren't always ready as scheduled, customers can end up waiting in line until about 10 minutes before showtime. Even reading the menu is difficult, with only a dim light to read by. As for the meal itself, the speed of service could not make up for overcooked and otherwise unremarkable food. Even eating the food wasn't easy, because while sitting back in the chair, the tray/table attached to the armrest is out of reach, forcing most people in the theater to sit in strange and uncomfortable positions. After the main meal is served, the waiters can still be summoned at anytime at the press of a button, but they didn't seem too concerned about partially blocking people's views, or the volume of their voices.

All in all, visiting the Dine-In was a pretty negative experience. If you're still interested in checking it out for yourself, don't go for a movie you really want to see, as the myriad of distractions will likely ruin it for you.