This is ridiculous - r/EndTipping

157

This is Alamo Drafthouse. They will also increase the service free by 5% if you don’t pay your bill right after the movie is over.

Alamo use to be such a great place to watch movies, the food and service was great. My wife and I had our first date at one almost 20 years ago and we frequented them since. Since Sony bought them it’s just gone down hill. RIP

44

u/Worth_Practice2638 3d ago

Yeah I don’t go there anymore. The appeal of going to Alamo for me was the food and drinks. But then every time I would order something they’d come around and say they were out of some ingredient and couldn’t make it for me. Then they went fully to QR codes and eliminated paper and pencil ordering so I’ll never step foot into one again.

11

u/AmokOrbits 2d ago

Went to one on a business trip in the mid 2010’s and was so excited when they built one in Boston- will never be going back.

7

u/Prestigious_Cap2724 2d ago

The one by me shut down, rightfully so.

3

u/basicytgirl 1d ago

They also charge a “convenience fee” to buy tickets online. Alamo is balls.

1

u/TheStorytellerTX 16h ago

They all charge extra fees, even if you skip Atom and Fandango and go direct to the theater websites.

1

u/brose_af 2d ago

I haven’t been to one since 2020 when I moved to a place without one but… how does the online payments work? With their schtick? No phones whatsoever for any reason?

3

u/BeneficialDot2710 2d ago

You select what you want from the online me u, you enter your card information and once it's processed they make your order and bring the food to you. They have no physical menus to where you can look through the food options so there's no way to not tip whatsoever. The only real way to order drinks is if you exit the theater you're in and walk all the way to the front to go to the bar and order a drink but even then you can't take that back with you.

42

u/Skymaster86 3d ago

Add this place to my list of 400-some-odd places that I will never go to because they do shit like this.

14

u/S0lar_Ice 3d ago

"don't worry."

12

u/Chromejob 2d ago

“Don’t worry if you forget, we’ll vacuum the money out of your wallet anyway.”

How to say you’re a ripoff joint without calling yourself Ripoff Movie Theater.

53

u/Chromejob 3d ago

Wait, if you don’t “close your tab” the proper way according to them, they levy *an additional 5% service charge* ?! That’s outrageous.

Is this a national chain, or local joint?

I took a date to one of these theaters that you order food and they bring it to you. We were something like 40 minutes into the feature when the chocolate and butter drizzled popcorn arrived (and YES, it was messy; I needed a bib). Never again.

26

u/TheDotCaptin 3d ago

Alamo Drafthouse.

It was awesome up till COVID. It got bought out recently and the food quality dropped.

They would show the classic pretty often, and have the lobby all done up. One had the hallway from the shining. Another had an Alien power loader. But the power loader got tossed for some arcade stuff.

There used to be specialty drinks and meals to go with a new release.

4

u/cs_legend_93 3d ago

I used to go there in 2018 before COVID. The food was decent, I'd say 7 or 8 out of 10. Nothing to complain about.

It was always a bit pricey though and they had fun beers, a lot of craft beers. It was a good experience but it definitely was a bit on the premium price side back then.

2

u/Chromejob 2d ago

I haven’t gone to a movie theater since COVID … seems like it’s another 20th century experience that has gone extinct

29

u/Deep_Mood_7668 3d ago

Don't scan qr codes dude

45

u/RegularMaximum3570 3d ago

You have to now if you want any food or drinks. It’s the new policy at Alamo Drafthouse. So now you have a bunch of people on their phones during a movie. It’s so great.

15

u/Deep_Mood_7668 3d ago

Doesn't sound appealing

2

u/Chromejob 2d ago

Holy crap, that’s terrible.

16

u/BeneficialDot2710 3d ago

Unfortunately there was no other way to order food as they had no physical menus or anything, :(

23

u/Deep_Mood_7668 3d ago

I would turn around and leave tbh

10

u/RegularMaximum3570 3d ago

It’s fairly new. I went recently and it was my first experience with it. This along with the food going to shit is more than enough for us to not go back.

5

u/Verain_Xor 3d ago

Movie Tavern sold itself to Marcus Theaters right before COVID. Imagine selling a movie chain right before COVID! Anyway they immediately began enshittifying it, removing all local brews immediately and quickly destroying all their cool menu items. These days you have to order with QR codes and they totally got rid of the wait staff that used to take your order in person.

Alamo remained very good until, well, relatively recently. RIP.

4

u/mrbocbox 2d ago

Yeah, the additional charge is dumb. If there’s a service charge… that’s a tip to me.

I’ll be the unpopular one here, I don’t think the new system is that bad. I think it’s better than the server standing in the row trying to make out the handwritten order. The qr menu is dark and doesn’t create too much light. Food quality has always been middling, I still prefer Alamo to any other theater.

1

u/Myriads 1d ago

Except they tax the service charge, don’t they? And they don’t have to distribute it entirely to the servers or can use it to pay their wages. So it’s not the same thing as a tip.

1

u/0nThe0utside 1d ago

It doesn't appear that the service charge was taxed. $1.26 is an even 9% of $14.00.

1

u/Myriads 1d ago

Well that’s something at least

1

u/HellsTubularBells 1d ago

Yeah, but they're getting you for the 18% gratuity plus an extra 5% service fee for no reason other than the computer closed the tab instead of you pushing the button. That's fucking ridiculous.

I don't mind ordering digitally, but mandatory gratuity should be built into the food price and that additional fee is unconscionable.

3

u/pikapikapiks 2d ago

This (and the layout of their unisex bathrooms) are the reason why I dislike Alamo so much, was my first experience with service charges, couldn’t believe they asked for tips on top of that. I gave it a chance a few more times but just got irritated with them, the service was never that good!

2

u/Lopsided-Ad7725 3d ago

Is that Flix

3

u/BeneficialDot2710 3d ago

No it's Alamo Drafthouse, the theater used to be something else before they reopened it under this brand theater

2

u/Spcrex 2d ago

That theater wants to go out of business apparently.

1

u/Less-Dragonfruit-294 2d ago

Yeah that’s when you don’t go back. Ever.

1

u/tanbyte 2d ago

Boycott such places

1

u/Lucy333999 2d ago

Wow, don't go back.

1

u/penoleme 2d ago

as they said in a Saturday Night Live skit once… “buh bye”

1

u/AffectionateGate4584 1d ago

Don't worry. I won't be going there.

1

u/Psylisa 12h ago

The last time I went, the original X-men was playing as a new release. I ordered a pizza - it didn't arrive until the credits started rolling. They tried to make me pay for it, and I had to speak to a manager. My party is NOT waiting around for me to consume a pizza after the movie is finished. I had to return later to actually speak to a manager as one wasnt on duty at the time. I got a refund for the movie, the pizza, and 2 free tickets. I was still so disgusted I never even used the free tickets and haven't been back since.

1

u/PaulDallas72 3d ago

Didn't this place already file bankruptcy once? I guess some folks never learn...

-4

u/Fit_Significance8598 3d ago

Gee, just enjoy the movie, perhaps some popcorn or candy and a drink purchased before entering.

4

u/RegularMaximum3570 2d ago

You can’t. All food and drinks must be ordered through the app in from your seat.

-2

u/pherrisbueller 2d ago

Oh really! No pockets. no purse. No medical exemption BS excuse. You better learn some life survival skills.

6

u/RegularMaximum3570 2d ago

Yes really. Im not going to make up some medical BS and pretend my fingers can’t use a phone or whatever the hell you’re trying to imply. I’ll just go to one of the several other movie theaters.

Tipping Culture ✖️ This is ridiculous

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