Alamo Drafthouse, a cinema chain known for its upscale theater experience, has come under fire for a new policy allowing patrons to order snacks via their cell phones during movie screenings. Critics argue that this change disrupts the traditional movie-going experience, urging management to “save the sanctuary” from digital distractions.
As reported by the New York Times, the cinema chain introduced QR codes for snack orders earlier this year, replacing the former practice of writing orders on cards collected by staff. This shift has stirred controversy among patrons who fear it detracts from the immersive experience the cinema is known for.
Brooklyn filmmaker Miles Warren, a 28-year-old who frequently attends Alamo Drafthouse and subscribes to their $30 monthly season pass allowing daily film viewings, voiced his disapproval. “Adding the phone element just seems like a reversal that is so antithetical to what the theater is,” he lamented, even considering canceling his membership in protest.
The backlash has prompted the creation of a Change.org petition, urging the cinema chain to reconsider its decision. The petition has already garnered 9,000 signatures, reflecting widespread dissatisfaction with the policy among the theater’s clientele.
Warren, who has subscribed to the chain’s season pass program, which allows him to see a film every day for $30 a month, said he’s even considering terminating his membership.
A Change.org petition lobbying chiefs to change course has been created and has already racked up 9,000 signatures.
“We petition Alamo Drafthouse to reinstate the no-phone use policy and save the sanctity of the screening,” its creator Brint Davy said.
Davy alluded to how the analog ordering procedure set Alamo aside from rival chains.
“For years, Alamo Drafthouse has been my personal Alamo—a last stand against an encircling empire of glowing screens, vibratory notifications, and the general breakdown of civilization as we know,” he claimed.
“To cinephiles, Alamo didn’t just screen movies; it was a fortress. Alamo Drafthouse made “No Talking, No Texting” the Law of The Land. Nay, a Constitutional Amendment. Nay! A Holy Commandment.
“That is why the shift to smartphone ordering feels less like progress and more like a betrayal of Alamo’s soul.
“By requiring patrons to use phones to order, you aren’t changing the service model; you have invited the enemy into our religious sanctuary.
“We don’t want an app, a QR code, or an auditorium filled with glowing screens. We want the scratch of a tiny pen on a recycled slip of paper.”
Davy warned that patrons might be tempted to use their phones to text during screenings – contradicting what writer-director Ryan Coogler warned in a promo.
He branded cell phone use the first of the “deadly sins” in the cinema.
Alamo has been known for pumping out hundreds of ads warning customers not to use their cell phones.
“This is a profound and upsetting mistake,” “Lord of the Rings” star Elijah Wood wrote on X.
Cinema-goers have already complained about the new ordering procedure.
“I took my friend last night who hadn’t been in a while and he hate HATED the QR code ordering. Getting your phone out even during the previews/pre-show (it’s still dark in there/the lights go on and off and it’s a pain) and having to punch in your whole CC number, CV etc,” one Redditor complained.
“I really miss the old style where I could sit, enjoy the pre-show, put my phone away for a few hours after showing my ticket and just RELAX. I also really liked chatting with the server.”
Another labeled the move as one of the “dumbest decisions” made by bosses. Alamo was sold to Sony Pictures Entertainment in June 2024.
It marked the first time in 75 years that a major Hollywood studio had owned a movie theater chain.
Apart from commenting on Reddit threads, one disgruntled customer in South Lamar, Texas, voiced their dissatisfaction by scrawling “F–k mobile ordering” on the bathroom tiles.
Alamo Drafthouse was founded in 1997 as a single-screen, family-owned repertory theater in Austin, Texas, and has grown to 35 locations in North America.
The chain has previously experienced financial problems — filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2021 before exiting two months later.
With Post wires
