Business & Tech

Movies Get a New Taste in Suwanee

In-show wait service is among the unique features of the Movie Tavern near I-85.

The buzz on that new Movie Tavern in Suwanee? It's at your seat.

If you want service during a performance, push the red button on the seat table to the right. That will summon a member of the theater's wait staff, and you take it from there.

It's one of the envelope-pushing features that the Dallas-based company has installed at the Suwanee facility that opened last month, in the Horizon Village shopping center near I-85. The Movie Tavern near Northlake Mall in Atlanta offers in-show dining, but customers must order outside the theater.

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So it's quite a unique facility that already has people talking. It means that Suwanee residents no longer have to go to Lawrenceville, Duluth or the Mall of Georgia area for flicks. And if you just want to dine there, that's OK too. There's no "cover charge" if you don't want to see a movie.

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It occupies a 48,000 square foot building that used to be a Publix store. The Movie Tavern has nine theaters that seat a total of 1,000 people, explained John Hersker, CEO of the Dallas-based company. That also makes it the largest restaurant in the Atlanta area, he added. The staff has to be capable of serving that many customers simultaneously.

Hersker noted that in the early days of theaters, there were no concession stands inside. Theater owners noticed vendors outside selling popcorn and beverages, and thought they'd take that on inside. Some were wary of the potential disruptions. And now, after all, it's standard to warn people not to text during movies.

"Once the movie starts," Hersker noted, "people get amused (by the movie) and forget about other things."

And he explained that most Movie Tavern items can be consumed simply, with minimal disruption to others.

The menu is casual dining fare, with prices for sandwiches and wraps ranging from $6 to $9.75. There also are smoothies and pitas/salads and yes, beer and wine. Dessert items include red velvet cake ($6).

The movies are first-run, with some also in 3D.

There also are weekend specials, such as morning shows on Saturday and Sunday, with breakfast items served. And the Movie Tavern also offers its facilities for corporate gatherings, with PowerPoint presentation capability.

"It's all about choices," Hersker noted.

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