As some of you may know, and most of you probably don’t, I recently embarked on a trip to visit a friend of mine in Austin, Texas. I was somewhat hesitant of what Texas would be like since I had never been there before and my knowledge of the state was limited to BBQ, cattle, and cactus. Now that I am here, I must say that I am pleasantly surprised by how (for lack of a better word) modern Austin is. It feels like any other US city but with a southern flair. There are outdoor bars, BBQ fast food chains, cactus, and a surprising lack of cattle. There is a saying that goes “Everything’s better (or bigger) in Texas”. While I largely disagree and believe that New York is the best state (with Maine being a close second), there is one major lesson that New York could take from Texas.
Lesson: Barhouse Cinema.
Yes, that is exactly what it sounds like. There is a chain of cinemas called “The Alamo” that is just like any other cinema chain, only at your seat is a counter, and a menu. On my second day in Austin, we went to see the new film Alice in Wonderland (which is a whole other can of worms to be opened in another post) at the Alamo South Lamar. I knew that you could order food in the theatre, but I was not expecting a full bar right next to the ticket counter. Overall it was quite an enjoyable experience and not as disruptive to the movie-watching as I had feared. They provide you with dim lighting under the counters to read during the movie (although most people order beforehand) and you write down your order on pieces of paper that you clip in front of your counters. The servers move pretty silently between rows and only block your view in the first few rows that aren’t stadium seating. My only complaint was that they give you the check during the movie instead of after, but I guess they avoid getting cheated out of money that way. Getting to the theatre early is definitely a must so you can look over the menu, order in advance, etc. but also because they don’t show stupid quizzes and local ads; they show relevant clips to the movie. Since it was Alice they showed clips for other Alice movies ranging from old films to newer films to animations to even a music video. It actually enhanced the movie because I was reminded of some lines that were later referenced in the film from the clips. Now I must note that this is not the first time I have been to a cinema that serves food during the movie. I went to a place in Maine that had a similar concept, but you sat at actual tables and the servers were disruptive during the film. They had the right idea, but executed it poorly. The Alamo definitely got it right.
The exterior of Alamo South Lamar where we saw "Alice".
Aside from showing big budget movies, The Alamo also holds event viewing. Notably, they have been showing the latest episode of Lost on their big screens as it airs every Tuesday. For $5 I can sit, enjoy the show in surround sound and on a giant screen while ordering myself a pint and a burger. It is absolutely BEYOND me as to why New York has not picked up on this phenomenon. New Yorkers are stereotyped as always being in a rush, impatient, etc. and the truth is that many of us really are. This seems like a perfect solution…instead of dinner and a movie, why not do dinner WITH a movie? Therefore, I am putting the state of New York on notice (much in the style of Stephen Colbert) until they open up one of these. And when they do, I will be there every Tuesday night.