Aconcession stand, orrefreshment stand (American English,Canadian English),snack kiosk orsnack bar (British English,Irish English) is a place wherepatrons can purchasesnacks orfood at acinema,amusement park,zoo,aquarium,circus,fair,stadium,beach,swimming pool,concert,sporting event, or other entertainment venue. Some events or venues contract the right to sell food to third parties. Those contracts are often referred to as aconcession, hence the name for a stand where food is sold. Usuallyprices forgoods at concession stands are greater than elsewhere for theconvenience of being close to an attraction and thus often contribute significantrevenue to the venue operator (especially in the case ofmovie theaters). Additionally, outside food and drink is often prohibited to incentivise spending at the concession stands.
Concession stands were not originally operated by the movie theaters, and food was often sold by people attending the film or byvendors outside of the theater.[1]
Movie theaters were at first hostile to food being brought into their facilities, but during theGreat Depression, theaters added concession stands as a way to increase revenue in the economically stagnant times.[1] EntrepreneurJacob Beresin ofPhiladelphia is credited with pioneering the modern concession stand in U.S. movie theaters through his early 20th-century innovations and founding of Berlo Vending Company.[2] By the 1930s, concession stands were a main fixture in many theaters.[1] DuringWorld War II, candy was scarce at concession stands because of thesugar rationing going on at the time, andpopcorn became more popular than before.[1]
In the late 1940s, and early 1950s, as movie ticket sales were down, sales of food at concession stands increased.[1] In the United States, concession owners are represented by theNational Association of Concessionaires[3] and theNational Independent Concessionaires Association.[4]
