Snacks in the cinema: Can you really bring your own meal?

Snacks in the cinema: Can you really bring your own meal?

Bringing your own snacks to the cinema is always discussed in Germany, especially against the background of rising prices for popcorn and other treats. Many cinema seekers feel overwhelmed by the high costs when buying drinks and snacks. According to reports from Merkur , cinemas have to be banned from their own house rules. However, there is no general legal regulation. The cinemas rely on their house rights to secure the sale of snacks, since the proceeds from these sales are often necessary to cover the operating costs.

legal situation and practice

In Germany it is different how cinemas deal with the topic. While large chains such as UCI and Cinemaxx make it clear that it is not allowed to bring your own food, there are also cinemas that are more flexible. A cinema in Lüneburg, for example, allows you to bring snacks, which offers guests an alternative and at the same time takes into account the economic basis of cinema, since the sale of popcorn remains essential, as Deutschlandfunk Nova . A survey also shows that many cinema seekers like to take something with them.

A valuable example came from Spain, where a cinema had to pay a fine of 30,000 euros because guests brought it to snacks. Such regulations could also be challenged in Germany, especially when it comes to the question of social justice. Experts argue that the ban on bringing your own snacks may not be right, especially with the high prices that require cinemas to cover your costs. Ultimately, however, the situation remains different from cinema to cinema.