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Moviegoers in New York State will soon be able to drink alcoholic beverages in theater auditoriums following a new ruling on Wednesday.
The decision was made by the New York State Liquor Authority (NYSLA), which said that all movie theaters across the state could apply for a new or revised liquor license. These licenses would allow people to actually take purchased alcohol to their seats while they watch their movies.
The new ruling applies to beer, wine and cider only. Hard liquor, along with cocktails and other mixed drinks, are still prohibited by state law from being consumed inside auditoriums.
Prior to the amendment, these alcoholic beverages could only be drunk inside auditoriums if the theater had a fully-staffed kitchen and tables for each moviegoer. This would allow for waiter service within the auditoriums, making it easier for theater employees to manage patrons' alcohol intake.
Some theaters which did not have full kitchens were allowed to sell alcohol at their concession stands if they had a specialized "tavern license." However, the drinks had to be consumed in the theater lobby, and customers were not allowed to bring them into the auditoriums.
With the state's new ruling—which will let cinemas apply for new licenses immediately, the NYSLA said—any theater that wants to allow the consumption of beer, wine and cider within auditoriums can do so. This provides for New York to join 44 other states that allow alcohol to be sold at movie theaters in some fashion.
The push to allow these drinks inside theaters was first proposed by former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. He had long rallied for a change to the state's rules on drinking in cinemas, but the New York Legislature never got behind him.
However, the ruling by the NYSLA allows theaters to circumvent the legislature after cinema owners appealed to their board directly.
"It is imperative that theatres search for new ways to enhance the moviegoing experience, enabling them to offset rising costs, and retain employees," Theresa Russo, a lawyer for the National Association of Theatre Owners, wrote to the NYSLA. "Beer and wine sales would create a critical revenue stream to help offset these headwinds."
The news is likely welcome for the state's nearly 300 reported theaters. It comes as the entertainment industry continues to try and recover from years of dormancy as the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered theatres across the country.
The move was particularly lauded by smaller theater chains in New York, which have been especially hurt by the virus.
Joe Masher, the CEO of Bow Tie Cinemas, a family-owned chain with three locations across the state, told Deadline Hollywood that the ruling was a "long-due and tremendous win."
"As moviegoers continue to return to the big screen and given the incredible economic disruption the pandemic has caused, this will help keep many independent, local theaters, particularly in upstate downtowns and commercial corridors, in business and employing local people," Masher told the outlet.
However, it remains to be seen how larger movie theater brands, such as AMC Theatres, will implement the new ruling. The largest theater chain in the world, AMC boasts 21 locations across New York state and over 600 nationwide.
Newsweek has reached out to AMC Theatres for comment.
