When I go to the movies, I always have to have a tub of popcorn with butter, a soda, and some candy. The candy is a revolving door of favorites like Red Vines, Junior Mints, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers, and Peanut M&M’s. Sometimes I’ll grab a hotdog if I’m feeling super hungry.
Fandango, the nation’s largest movie online ticketing service, recently conducted their Concession Confessions survey, and they asked 2,500 moviegoers in the United States about their movie snack preferences, and if you’re curious to see what people enjoy munching on at the movies, this will answer all your questions!
Fandango Managing Editor Erik Davis said in a statement: “Summer moviegoing season is in full swing, and it’s that time of year when fans are craving those spectacular ‘popcorn movies.’ We call them ‘popcorn movies’ for a reason: because concessions are an essential part of the theatrical experience. Summer movies allow us to escape our daily routines and discover new, unforgettable adventures at our local theaters, and with Top Gun: Maverick thrilling audiences, and Jurassic World Dominion and more summer blockbusters on the way, theaters are buzzing with breathtaking, big-screen excitement and fans craving those irresistible snacks.”
The study reveals that 81% of those people who were surveyed believe that theater concessions play an important part in the moviegoing experience. 71% of them say that they missed eating concessions when theaters were closed due to the pandemic. I was definitely one of those! As for the most popular concessions among moviegoers, here’s the information that was gathered:
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83% claim movie theater popcorn simply tastes better.
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76% are more likely to eat popcorn in the theater than at home.
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66% order large or extra large sizes of popcorn every time, while 47% would prefer a bottomless popcorn bucket option.
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53% say nachos is the best hot snack, but 77% avoid messy concessions like nachos on a date.
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58% prefer a mix of sweet & salty snacks, while nearly half enjoy mixing their popcorn with candy at the movies. The top candies fans add to popcorn are M&M’s, Reese’s Pieces, Raisinets, Goobers and Milk Duds.
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47% say they must buy concessions even when they’re late to the movies.
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72% say Coke (regular, diet, Coke Zero or flavored Coke) is their top drink of choice.
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55% would like to see healthier (and more vegan) options at the theater.
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45% say the bottomless soda option is their favorite new addition to theater concession menus, followed by alcoholic beverages and flavored Cokes.
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Action/adventure is the #1 movie genre that must be enjoyed with concessions, followed by comedies and scifi/fantasy.
The study also took a look at the movie theater concessions habits of self-described “comic book fans”:
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85% of comic book fans feel like concessions are an important part of the moviegoing experience vs. 81% of general moviegoers.
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64% of comic book fans would be interested in themed concessions (like “pizza balls” for Doctor Strange 2) vs. 61% of general moviegoers.
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50% of comic book fans opt in for unlimited popcorn/soda options vs. 47% of general moviegoers.
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49% of comic book fans order pretzel vs. 46% of general moviegoers.
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48% of comic book fans like to experiment with concessions vs. 45% of general moviegoers.
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34% of comic book fans order pizza vs. 31% of general moviegoers.
When it comes to favorite movie theater candy, Peanut M&M’s was the top favorite overall and chocolate-based candy. Twizzlers was the top non-chocolate-based candy, and Junior Mints was voted the top retro candy brand.
Then there’s the favorite brand of licorice… it was interesting to learn that Twizzlers is the preferred brand in the Northeast, Midwest and Southern parts of the country, while Red Vines are the top choice in Western U.S. 47% percent of those surveyed said they would purchase another licorice brand if their favorite wasn’t offered.
What are your favorite concessions at the cinema!?
