Yet another impending shortage is gleaming its ugly head as we enter the Summer months, and this one is aiming to hit the cinema industry particularly hard. Popcorn is a movie goers best friend. In fact, it is a vital part of the theater experience! I mean, can you even imagine sitting down in front of the big screen without a giant tub of buttery, salty goodness on your lap? Yeah…we didn’t think so. Unfortunately, this may very well be a reality weighing on the minds of many as we get through the final weeks of Spring.

What is the cause of the forecasted scarcity? To put it simply, supply-chain issues are to blame. Farmers are opting to focus on crops that will lead to heftier profits, and rightfully so. Pivoting to survive has become a well know business tactic since the start of the pandemic. Additionally, the lining that goes into the containers and bags to prevent the popcorn butter from staining movie goers’ clothes is also becoming less and less available. This means that even if owners and operators can manage to get their hands on some popcorn, they may have nothing to serve it in.

Thankfully, there are things that cinemas can do to help offset this foreseeable disruption. Changing up the focus of your menu is a great way to distract your patrons from the unavailability of popcorn, while simultaneously restoring foodservice profits. Highlighting items like pizzas, nachos, boneless wings, or mozzarella sticks is a good place to start. You may even want to think about adding larger size options to your menu so customers can purchase them as shareables.

Altering your foodservice menu can seem overwhelming, especially if that menu hasn’t changed in quite some time. But, with the right equipment it is easy to implement new offerings in no time at all. High-speed ovens and automatic deep fryers keep things simple and safe.  No need to hire a professionally trained cook or chef, any employee can operate these systems. Simply plug in and start cooking!

Beat the popcorn shortage with a menu that delivers on quality, time and time again. Click below to see how MTI can help!