Why You’ll Pay $10 for a Small Popcorn at the Movies (Tradition!)

This story from Smithsonian Mag (not shut down?) about why we eat popcorn at the movies is a real delight. You see: popcorn used to be THE snack of the world (Snickers bars didn’t exist yet I guess?), but it wasn’t allowed in movie theaters because theaters were classy establishments and popcorn was messy. (“Early movie theaters literally had signs hung outside their coatrooms, requesting that patrons check their popcorn with their coats.”)

Eventually, theater owners realized that they had to sell snacks and sure, go ahead, have your beloved popcorn. Also the margin is insane. It’s all air! Anyway, now “movie theaters make an estimated 85 percent profit off of concession sales, and those sales constitute 46 percent of a movie theater’s overall profits.”

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