It’s National Popcorn Day

It’s National Popcorn Day! Movies and popcorn go hand-in-hand. This is why popcorn is a great way to make money at your outdoor movie event. Here is what to keep in mind so you can make the most of selling popcorn at your outdoor movie concession stand.

Popcorn Machine Placement
Many people already enjoy popcorn with a movie, but smart placement strategies can help you increase popcorn sales even more. First, choose the best location for your popcorn popper. Make sure the event attendees can see and smell the popcorn by placing the machine in the front of the movie viewing area, or to the side of the movie screen. Be sure not to place the popcorn machine behind the audience, since they will be more likely to buy the popcorn if they can see and smell it.

Another great way to increase visibility is to illuminate the popcorn by keeping the machine’s light on. A central location for the machine and proper illumination will make it hard to miss the delicious sight and smell of the popcorn.

Popcorn Popper Appearance
Create a clean and inviting appearance to make the popcorn more appealing. Event attendees will steer clear if the machine is dirty. Be sure to clean the popcorn popper properly after every event to keep it sanitary and increase popcorn sales.

Keep the machine moderately full so that there is an attractive display of popped popcorn. Be sure to pop the popcorn during working hours, and keep the doors open during popping so that stream does not fog up the windows. Be sure to keep the popcorn hot, however, following popping so you can serve customers fresh, hot popcorn to enjoy with the movie.

Containers
Choose the best containers for your popcorn. Try to avoid paper bag containers. It is difficult to display popcorn in paper bags, and serving it this way is also more time consuming since the bags will need to be opened before they can be filled. Popcorn boxes are generally a much better alternative. Offer a large size popcorn box so two people can share.

More Tips to keep in Mind
In addition to popcorn, consider offering a variety of drinks including bottled water and soda at your concession stand. Popcorn makes people thirsty, so offering drinks is a good idea. Attendees will be happy there are beverages available, and you will enjoy additional revenue from the drink sales. Be sure to also highlight the fact that popcorn is a much healthier alternative to candy, another popular movie snack.

Popcorn is a very important part of a movie concession stand. Give your popcorn machine an appropriate spot and place it up front in your concession stand, rather than on a back shelf. This simple change will increase your sales by 30-50%.