We get it. Movie theatres, in an effort to bring back customers, are working hard to make their venues just like home.
Comfy seats — that recline. Food options that are far better than burnt popcorn and overpriced candy.
So, why not make it easier to sell beer and mixed drinks, which some theatres already do?
Results of an FDU Poll release Wednesday show Jerseyans are firmly against the idea.
Only 38 percent of voters say that they support changing the law to allow movie theaters to more easily acquire liquor licenses, with 55 percent saying that they’re opposed. Support for such a change is unrelated to partisanship, but peaks among middle-aged voters, and is lower among older voters.
The survey was asking about Assembly Bill 4666, which would allow movie theaters to sell alcohol. This bill, already passed by the Assembly last month and pending in the State Senate (as S4357), would allow theaters to acquire liquor licenses for between $150,000 and $210,000 (depending on whether they were linked with local breweries), regardless of the availability of liquor licenses in the municipality where the theaters are located.
Some movie theaters already have liquor licenses, acquired through normal means, and special provisions already apply to non-profit movie theaters. Opponents of the bill note that many theaters have already paid more for those licenses than the amount provided in the bill, and the additional licenses could devalue licenses already held by restaurants.
Theater owners say that selling alcohol would help them stay in business, even as ticket sales remain depressed after the pandemic.
The Legislature may eventually help them out — but if they do, it won’t come with the support of the public.
Methodology: The survey was conducted between June 23-30, using a voter list of registered voters in New Jersey carried out by Braun Research of Princeton. Respondents were contacted via text-to-web (TTW) surveys sent to cellular phones, resulting in an overall sample of 1,211 registered voters in the state. Surveys were conducted only in English.
