Marble Falls movie theater gets OK to serve alcohol
CONNIE SWINNEY • PICAYUNE STAFF
MARBLE FALLS — Movie-goers may add a wine list to their traditional menu of popcorn, sodas and candy as they venture to the local movie theater.Officials with ShowBiz Cinemas 8 in Marble Falls, 2600 U.S. 281, confirmed the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission approved the company’s application for a license to sell alcohol at the venue.
“We’re going to do what mainstream movie theaters are doing — selling beer, wine, margaritas,” said said Rob Warnes, director of operations/purchasing.
“We had a lot of customers asking for it,” he added. “We need to remain competitive in our industry.”
The company has served alcohol at its Waxahachie location since November. Along with recently receiving the green light to serve alcohol at the Marble Falls location, TABC also approved a license for the company’s theater in the Houston suburb of Kingwood, Warnes said. Theater venues in states such as Louisiana and New York have started serving alcohol within the last several years.
The prospect of alcohol at the Marble Falls theater, which serves at least a five-county area, has irked some residents.
The venue received from 20 to 30 calls opposed to the license application which was posted on the theater doors for about a year, Warnes said.
Marble Falls parent Kimmy Wilson said she perceives a potential safety threat connected with alcohol consumption in a venue frequented by unaccompanied children.
“I always let my boys, age 12 and 14, go together. They enjoy going to the movies, and I feel safe letting them,” Wilson said. “For me it would change everything if there were drunk people in there. You don’t ever know if they’re going to drive drunk from there and run over a kid in the parking lot. There’s no other option now. I don’t like it.”
Along with the state license, the Marble Falls theater would still need to apply for the city alcohol permit to finalize approval.
Marble Falls Police Chief Mark Whitacre said he has yet to see an application, however, if city staff approve it, local law enforcement will work with the theater in the same way it works with restaurants and other establishments which do the same.
“There’s a lot of businesses that serve alcohol and we have few or no calls to those establishments. It’s a matter of how the business chooses to deal with particular situations,” Whitacre said. “It’s not a matter of the alcohol, the problem arises later on in how situations are dealt with and whether they get out of hand and we have to intervene.
“That’s where we and TABC get involved to help them resolve those problems because it’s a partnership,” he added.
Crews just completed renovation of an area which previously offered ice cream, adjacent to the snack counter.
A sign with the word “Bar” labels the station which remains empty pending completion of the process.
Officials say they hope to begin serving alcohol sometime in September.
“We want to remain a traditional theater. We’re not trying to become an adult hangout,” Warnes said. “We’re basically appealing to an older crowd who would like to have a glass of wine or margarita while they’re watching their movie.”
Warnes added he has not heard of any problems with the Waxahachie theater since the venue started serving alcohol, and in the Marble Falls area he has received more support from patrons than criticism.
“Kids are around alcohol in a lot of places where their parents take them everyday,” he said. “There’s always concerns but you always stay vigilant.”
connie@thepicayune.com
8 thoughts on “Marble Falls movie theater gets OK to serve alcohol”
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Why stop at Magaritas which use Tequila. They should also serve Pina Coladas that use Rum. Heck why not go all the way and sell Long Island Ice Teas.And dont forget to have some Adult Chocolate milk on hand as well for those who want a drink with their cookies.. Man this is going to be the Hot spot on Friday and Saturday nights.
Everyone in this little town overeacts over EVERYTHING! I’m almost 99% sure, people sneak it in anyway. You have to be naive to think otherwise. Calm down. Doesn’t mean there’s gonna be drunks running around the theatre! Lol! Small town people, small town minds! I don’t agree with serving it, but I also know it’s probably not going to happen so, to me, no biggie! There’s bigger, more important issues to deal with and worry about!
My experiences at movie houses that serve food and alcohol has been that our orders were taken early upon arrival to our movie seats, and if we wanted another drink or food item, we had to go find my server – thus limiting how much we could consume. By the time the movie was over, the affects of the alcohol had long diminished because our bodies were able to metabolize it over a longer period of time.
In the case of Showbiz where it appears they’re going to have a walk up bar area scares me a little. They mention being vigilant but just how vigilant can you be if a person can walk up to the bar anytime and order a drink or two, then return to a movie where no one knows to whom the alcohol is really being served It also concerns me that the number of drinks being served a patron in this scenario would not be monitored as closely as it would be a waiter or waitress served it.
I would also suggest that Showbiz limit the time alcohol is served so that younger children are more likely at home – perhaps after 7 p.m.???
Calm down everyone. Atleast now people will be paying for it over the counter and not sneaking it in, in their purses and pockets. They aren’t serving hard liquor. If it brings in tax money and keeps people from going elsewhere then so be it. Has no one noticed there is a fricking specs next door that you can go buy a pint at and put in your super large soda?!!
I agree with you 100%! I’m guilty of sneaking in wine with my girlfriends. How is this different from an Alamo draft house? In my opinion they need go do this. The industry is huge! If they don’t keep up how can they remain operational? As for your children…. Parent them! Teach then right from wrong. People drink its a fact. Your children WILL be exposed to this. You as a parent should teach them how to handle it. Your basic right from wrong guidance. Marble Falls is one community whose citizens think they have to run every business there for the owners. Every one is so opinionated that it isn’t really opinions anymore. If you don’t like it, don’t go.
I absolutely hate this idea! Like the above comment we are not Austin San Antonio or Dallas! There’s enough problems with the drugs in this area so let’s through so more drunks on the road in a town that doesn’t even have taxi’s. Do you believe these people drinking will have designated drivers haha yeah right. I will be staying clear of the movie theater now! Is there a petition against this? I’d love to sign it! I really just can’t believe this this town is getting ridiculous!
The petition already took place quite a while ago. This was widely advertised in Marble Falls local news and the theater even put large signs on their doors directing people on how to sign a petition in order to stop it. The theater’s request was put in many months ago. I recommend getting a local newspaper (as well as using other sources) to keep up on what’s happening in town. That being said, there may be another petition going already, but it seems that the majority of people going to the theater did not mind this happening. Also, not really ridiculous, people just like to drink. I mean, the theater is already next door to a liquor store and a Walmart…
This is a bad idea and will end up with causing more trouble than anything if they start serving alcohol. There’s gonna be underage drinking issues just cuz teenagers will be teenagers and try to get away with doing it. There will be more fights cuz of intoxicated people just as if your at a bar drinking and a drunk keeps coming around bugging someone or something. Movies have more people under the age of 21 that go I’m sure than they do I’ve people over the legal drinking age and being they aren’t old enough to buy and drink alcohol it shouldn’t be sold there. We are not Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, or Houston, Texas we are Marble Falls, Texas a somewhat little town pretending to be a major city and people need to realize the more they push us to become a larger city then be prepared to deal with the larger city crime issues such as fighting, killings, drug activities, intoxicated people out and about in public family places.., and it’s just gonna get worse from there. If you want to drink alcohol then go to a bar where they only serve to of aged drinkers not to a movie theater where children usually are during their opened business hours.