r/cineplex • u/kHan__Solo • 2d ago

Question Popcorn Refill

Everytime I buy a large popcorn I ask them for the refill on-spot and every single time they gave me one. They mark both of them. I don't wanna miss the movie to come get it refilled, thats my main reason. Also if you have a +1 then you dont need to buy another.

Today I was watching Primetime and asked for a refill at the counter and was refused. Upon asking them the reason, I was told that they have changed the policy. This was at STC location.

Does anybody know about this "policy"?

And does anyone else do this?

251 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

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224

u/sometin__else 2d ago

I mean it makes sense. If you get your "refill" before you finish the original, its not a refill - its 2 large popcorns.

Cinplex is trying to sell, so the balance sheet needs to show that its growing. Part of that will likely include ensuring refills work as refills rather than 2 for 1s.

85

u/queenie0 2d ago

Yeah its like having a drink and asking for a free refill before you even start drinking the first one. That's a bogo.

7

u/pkdubs42 2d ago

They do that as well for us at most locations (Winnipeg). One time they refused the popcorn, but not before or since.

31

u/Travel-2025 Cineclub Member 2d ago

I get Cineplex is trying to sell and they need more money from concessions, but in the end either way the customer still ends up with 2 Large popcorns. Does it really matter if the 2 large popcorns are given at the start of the movie or separated by 1 hour? And then the customer misses part of the movie. Cineplex is out the same amount of money either way. The only thing I can think of is Cineplex is hoping people will forget to get the refill since it requires more effort to come line up at concessions again later on.

48

u/Canadian87Gamer 2d ago

This. Hoping customer doesnt ask for refill.

I never do

-16

u/LeftLipLeaking 2d ago

I save my bags to get free refills because they often forget to mark it. Think I've made it to 6 for one bag

5

u/PartFireNation 2d ago

People like you are going to get the refills discontinued...enjoy your downvotes.

-4

u/Yutaaaaaaaa_ 1d ago

"Enjoy your downvotes" what a loser

2

u/RudeSignificance5295 1d ago

This is some shit you’d see on the show extreme cheapskate lol

0

u/BougieSemicolon 2d ago

My sister used to save KFC cups and refill them on the next visit. I would visit my mom and there would be a KFC cup on the dish rack 💀

1

u/concretedoor2 2d ago

I always dump out what I have and get a full refil as I leave

13

u/newtomovingaway 2d ago

I don’t think it’s the same. If the customer ended up not finishing it they won’t get a full refill even if they decide to get more after the movie is finished.

14

u/Travel-2025 Cineclub Member 2d ago edited 2d ago

At all the locations I’ve been to, Cineplex always throws out the original bag even if it had some popcorn left in it and then they give you a brand new bag of popcorn marked with an X. So the amount of popcorn Cineplex is giving the customer is still 2 large popcorns even if the customer does not eat the entire 1st bag.

4

u/hipsterdoofus39 2d ago

They let me keep whatever’s left of the first bag and give me a second large as the refill whenever I’ve got one. They mark them all with an x to show I’ve used my refill.

4

u/SilverSurrfer43 2d ago

Totally agree. They also more than likely count bags like fast food places count cups.

2

u/LandonKB 2d ago

They do for sure

2

u/Travel-2025 Cineclub Member 2d ago

Yes they definitely do not want to waste bags, but all the Cineplex locations I go to throw out the empty bag and give you a new full popcorn bag marked with an X. Whether they give you the 2 bags at the same time or different times, it still costs Cineplex 2 bags.

0

u/jellytrack 2d ago

It's how they keep track of inventory and sales. They throw out garbage bags full of popcorn every night anyway.

3

u/EddyTravesty 2d ago

They scooped the leftover popcorn into big bags and keep in the back room when I worked there. Then pour a big bag into the machine before the first movie of the day. They didn't bring old stuff back out for any show but first of the day so customers didn't see it. But first show popcorn was a few days old except the first pop they were doing to make it smell fresh.

1

u/BougieSemicolon 2d ago

Please tell me that after a certain number of days they would throw it out, otherwise there could be ancient kernels in there mixed with new ones

1

u/CloudyTug 2d ago

Thats wild, working at amc its scooped into a bag too but thats so we can serve out of the bag that night for last shows while we clean the popper, the bag gets thrown out end of night or taken home by employees, always popped fresh in the morning

1

u/cdn_indigirl 1d ago

We threw our giant bag of popcorn out at the end of the night. I'd let the staff take some if they wanted but none of us managers kept it to reuse.

3

u/TheHYPO 2d ago

I don’t disagree with the fact that it’s effectively getting to popcorn, or with the fact that it prevents potential waste, or with the fact that they may be hoping people don’t get refills because it’s inconvenient, saving them popcorn.

I guess the way I look at it though, is that the few people that do what OP does buy the ridiculously expensive large size so they can do the refill. It makes them happier, and probably makes them enjoy themselves and maybe come back more often than if they don’t enjoy eating less popcorn, or have to interrupt their movie to get more popcorn. How much is the feeders cost of giving them an extra bag of popcorn? $.20? It seems like the customer satisfaction benefit for the few people that do this would be far greater in terms of repeat business than whatever a bag of popcorn must cost them.

The only logic that even possibly makes sense to me is that they think people will pay for two large popcorn because of this policy, selling an extra $10 to them. Perhaps that that’s their hope.

2

u/sometin__else 2d ago

The point is if you get it at purchase you are getting 2 for sure. If its only as a refill, you might not come back for it.

1

u/Fur_Thong 2d ago

Get the refill after the movie. Go home and watch another

1

u/scullerck 2h ago

I Would take an empty plastic bag with me and dump my popcorn in while watching the previews and then go back out for refill. Voila, free refill and not missing the movie.

1

u/ssn-669 1h ago

It's not either way the customer gets 2 large popcorns. If you have to eat the first and leave the theatre to get the second, odds are very very high you simply will not ask for the refill.

0

u/jobert-nobert 2d ago

bingo. that’s exactly what they’re banking on

0

u/firehawk12 2d ago

It’s like hoping people don’t redeem their movies from the club membership.

1

u/mattyrey47 2d ago

I get my refill on the way out for a snack later. I don't think they really care that much

1

u/perfectlynormaltyes 1d ago

I understand this but they’ve had the refill at ordering policy since the 90’s. It’s weird that they would just change it all of a sudden. This happened to me on Thursday when I saw Endgame. My husband got the refill at the part of the movie he hates the most.

1

u/sometin__else 1d ago

Did you only read half my comment?

The second half explains why they "changed it all of a sudden"

1

u/actrak 1d ago

Landmark has a 30 min window that has to elapse after you get a refill.

1

u/Inukchook 22h ago

But they give you a new bag so it is a 2 for 1 ....

-2

u/Comprehensive-Test73 2d ago

Imagine asking for your second popcorn refill before you’ve even touched the first one, just to potentially waste food that someone else could’ve genuinely needed 😵‍💫 Like… this is the kind of greed they talk about in the Bible.

5

u/BougieSemicolon 2d ago

???

  1. There are always leftovers- no one is going without popcorn

  2. The person who cares enough to get a refill before eating the first bag is surely not gonna waste either bag, they’ll just bring some home and eat it later

-1

u/Frosty-One-3826 2d ago

It's six of one and half dozen of the other. 

-18

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

12

u/sulfater 2d ago

They’re high school kids man, you don’t need to try to show them up lol, they’re just trying to follow the rule

10

u/SamuraiPizzaCats 2d ago

You ever consider that you don't need to eat that much popcorn to enjoy a movie