Drink Up! Liquor Service is Expanding at Majestic Cinema

The old movie theater stand-by - popcorn and a Coke - is so passe. 

These days it's popcorn and a rum and Coke. 

The Marcus Theater's Majestic Cinema in the Town of Brookfield received permission from the Town Board this week to expand its alcohol service to additional screens, tapping the success of its Take Five Lounge and making liquor available inside its entire west wing. 

The east side and its eight screens will remain alcohol-free, and no one can carry alcohol from one wing to the other. But Marcus says the expanded service will allow the chain to respond to patrons' request for more food and beverage service.

"We've had the Take Five Lounge since the Majestic opened almost four years ago and it's proven to be a popular amenity," said Carlo Petrick, a spokesman for the Marcus Theatres Corp.

"It's a growing trend in movie theaters to offer expanded food and beverage opportunities," Petrick added.

In southeastern Wisconsin, Marcus serves alcohol at the Majestic and the North Shore Cinema in Mequon, which also has a Take 5 Lounge, Petrick said. The Majestic is one of only two in Marcus' chain with CineDine service, which offers full restaurant and cocktail service delivered to patrons' theater seats. 

The Majestic also has a Zaffiro's Pizza Cafe, Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream shop and appetizers and sandwiches at concessions.

Petrick said Marcus was interested in adding liquor lounges at more theaters in its chain, but "none are planned right now."

Other Milwaukee area movie theaters also offer food, alcohol or both include the Rosebud Cinema in Wauwatosa, Times Cinema in Milwaukee, IPic Entertainment at Bayshore Town Center in Glendale and Oriental Theater in Milwaukee.

The Majestic originally received a liquor license from the town to serve the lounge and the CineDine auditorium. Later the town expanded that to allow liquor at four screens, according to documents filed by the theater.

The Majestic sought and gained permission this week to expand again to allow alcohol to be served at all seven screens, the two UltraScreens, plus the lounge, and the corridors in the west wing.

No alcohol will be served in the main lobby or any screens or corridors on the eight-screen east wing.

The theater is open daily 11:30 am. to midnight.

Anyone ordering alcohol will be required to show an ID proving they are of legal drinking age, and trained employees will continue to monitor those theaters where alcohol is allowed, Marcus said.

Town Chairman Keith Henderson said there have been no problems to date with alcohol at the movie theater. That was a major factor in persuading the board to approve the request, he said.

The Majestic also has shown the Metropolitan Opera, concerts and boxing events. Petrick did not know if alcohol would be served at those venues.

Town Administrator Rick Czopp said Marcus has been a "good corporate citizen" that has demonstrated responsibility with its liquor license.