Want to Have a Beer at the Movies? Sioux Falls is Ready. Or Are We?

We had news yesterday that a Fargo, North Dakota movie chain was going to make beer available at their theatres, following suit with their screens in Minnesota and Iowa.

AMC Theatres in Council Bluffs, Iowa have a full bar in the lobby!

I started wondering whether Sioux Falls would support such a venture. A co-worker (and at least one of our Facebook fans) talked about the Alamo Drafthouse which started in Austin, Texas in 1997 and now has 14 locations across the country in which they offer not only beer in the theatre but food service as well! Dinner and a movie takes on a whole new meaning if you could enjoy a burger and a beer with your film.

Apparently before my time in Sioux Falls, we actually DID have a theatre that offered beer service called "Stars & Steins" which was located just south of 41st Street on Minnesota Avenue where T&A Service now stands. The city wasn't ready for it then, but would it work now?

We asked our Facebook faithful their opinion if they wanted the option in Sioux Falls and would they support it, and it looked like a definite 'YES' with early comments like:

Deb Lewis Movie Tavern here in Atlanta is great! Bar in lobby and you can order your food and alcoholic drinks in the theater too!

Drew Durigan When I lived in Biloxi, MS, there was a theater that served drinks as well as food (sandwiches, burgers, etc.) Nobody had any complaints. So tired of everything having to be "family friendly." Nobody goes to a movie theater to get bombed, anyway. For one thing, the price is prohibitive.

Manda Kokales-Sheaffer Not a beer person...Now vodka or Morgan?... Sure! They have beer at family sporting events, Chucky Cheese and Dave N Busters as well, so I guess, what's the difference? It's all entertainment at the end of the day. But, maybe keep them out of the Disney and Pixar based moves...just to keep South Dakota a little classy yet.

Patti Hanson Don't have it in all theaters, have an adult theater where you can have a drink, enjoy movies designed for people of age (no not porno) but anything not kid, family style. Some folks I know have been smuggling in adult beverages for years.

John Goettsch "make it a double"!!

Lisa Hejlik Murphy Sure!

Steve Jackson The real question is- "why shouldn't they?" - like it or not, they ought to be allowed.

Holli Stirling Chuck E Cheese's sells beer...

Dan Nelson I currently live in Tennessee and at our opry theater they serve alcohol... Pretty convenient and I have yet to hear ANY complaints, so I think it'd be fine

Jeremy Anacker I would probably go to more movies if that were an option.

But there are definitely a LOT of people who have strong opinions on the other side:

Matt Bernau The last thing we need is drunken moviegoers

Shelli Gonnerman Masek Alcohol is not needed in every single place in the world.

Tim Wenzel I see more theater shootings in the future...

June Buehner So few things are left for our kids to do. Now they want to take going to show away too. The people who want to go a bar and have fun they can. A child how ever are not treated equal in this matter thank God. At least the movies are common ground for families can go and have some together time!

Laurie Isakson Buum Alcohol free please.

Elizabeth Rahn Let's see...people drive to movie theaters, drink alcohol at theaters, drive home...yeah, that sounds great! People take concealed weapons to movie theaters, drink alcohol at theaters...yeah, no threat there.

My personal opinion? We have Cinemark Century Theatres and the West Mall 7 that are 'family friendly' theatres. An AMC chain that has a bar in the lobby (and EVERY seat in every theatre is a full recliner!) or an Alamo Drafthouse could work for those of us that would like to enjoy a beer with a movie. Not every place has to offer alcohol and there are many that don't. It's still a personal choice whether or not you support a business and no one is forcing you to go. Some say that we don't need alcohol around kids, but there is a growing population in the country that don't have kids and want to go to places that kids DON'T go to (I know for parents, that is a foreign concept and maybe a discussion best left for another blog), but we are a growing community (are we a big town or a small city??) and like it or not, not every place has to cater to every age or every taste.

Would you go to a theatre in Sioux Falls that offered beer, wine or alcohol?