AMC Painter's Crossing Now Offers Dine-In Service

The movie-theater concessions game has raised its stakes—thanks, in part, to AMC’s Dine-In Theatres concept, where full-scale meals, prepared on-site, are part of the viewing experience. AMC outfitted the Painter’s Crossing megaplex near West Chester, Pa., last summer, making it the company’s 15th movie/restaurant hybrid. A team of chef consultants and AMC honchos developed a bevy of options for moviegoers—from craft beers, spirits and wine at MacGuffin’s cocktail bar to sesame-ginger salmon over lime rice, available at the push of a button inside the “Cinema Suites.” The reservation-only, theater dining—complete with plush recliners, eight feet of legroom and swivel tables—features entrées like blackened chicken Alfredo, tenderloin tips and an Asian shrimp and steak bowl. The more casual “Fork & Screen” offers an in-theater dining package with options like burgers, mozzarella sticks and Thai-inspired fried shrimp. Guests are urged to arrive 30 minutes in advance of their movie for the best service. When the lights go dim, black-clad servers with flashlights navigate the meal like unseen stage-crew ninjas. “This is not a new idea—dinner and a movie is an iconic American tradition,” says Jennifer Douglas, AMC’s VP of dine-in theater operations. “As a company, we thought, ‘What are some things we can do about getting people excited about movie-going?’”