At Satyam Cineplex in Nehru Place, Janak Puri and Patel Nagar, the food counter has freshly steamed dimsums and ready made noodles. “A few months ago, we introduced steamed corn and ice-cream. The feedback was good and we decided to introduce new food items for movie-goers,” says Jayendra Banerji, vice-president, operations. While Banerji adds that having more interesting food options does not necessarily translate into greater ticket sales unless it’s a much talked about movie being screened, he feels a good food experience at the theatre will bring back the clients. “Food is a big part of an evening out, especially when it’s the whole family,” he says.

Meanwhile, at Waves Cinema, at Noida and Raja Garden the food counter is packed with varieties of baked goodies. “We introduced foot longs, brownies and grilled sandwiches just a fortnight ago and the response has been overwhelming,” says Yogesh Raizada of Waves Cinema. Spice Cinema in Noida is giving Indian street fare a makeover. Here, you can bite into a plate of hot samosas for Rs 35 or pair your cola with chicken kebabs for Rs 90. “It’s been six months since we innovated on the menu and it’s working,” says Amit Awasthi, manager - programming and operations.