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Alamo Drafthouse to Make In-Movie Phone Ordering Mandatory Next Month

The chain says trained staff plus a dark-screen interface will preserve its no‑phone rules during a QR-only rollout next month.

Overview

  • Beginning mid-February, Alamo will remove pens and paper and require all food and drink orders to be placed via QR code on smartphones during screenings.
  • The company says its no-talking, no-texting rules remain in force, with staff trained to spot non-ordering phone use and eject violators.
  • Alamo outlines mitigations including a dim “dark-screen” interface, a Request Service button, staff nearby for help, theater Wi‑Fi, and greeters for guests without phones.
  • Pushback intensified this week, with patrons threatening to cancel subscriptions, an online petition surpassing 800 verified signatures, and longtime fans posting objections.
  • CEO Michael Kustermann frames the move as a way to speed service without added distraction, while the chain says no jobs will be cut and base pay will stay the same.