Why do most movie theaters in the U.S. sell dill pickles alongside the
popcorn and soda? Is this just a stupid old tradition? If so, how did
it start? Is there some interesting story behind it? Why does it
continue? And most importantly,
_does_anyone_actually_buy_these_pickles_???

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Request for Question Clarification by justaskscott-ga on 09 Sep 2002 22:42 PDT

I don't recall seeing dill pickles at movie theaters; perhaps I
haven't been looking.  Or perhaps I've been in parts of the country
where pickles aren't sold.  In what parts of the country have you seen
this?  I ask because it might be helpful to answering your question.

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Clarification of Question by zsmooth-ga on 10 Sep 2002 07:15 PDT

I grew up in Virginia, and remember seeing them there all the time. I
currently live in Utah and have seen them at every theater I've
visited here as well. I know I've also seen them in Maryland,
Pennsylvania, New York, Nevada, and California I believe. (But in
those states it was just at 1 theater, so I don't know that they're
everywhere).

To the people posting comments: Could you also post where you've seen
pickles at movie theaters? Thanks!

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Request for Question Clarification by gnovos-ga on 02 Oct 2002 16:25 PDT

I do have anecdotal evidence from a grandfather who was a muckity much
in the movie business of yesteryear as to why pickles were and still
are sold, but I cannot find a link anywhere that will back up my own
personal knowledge.  Would you accept that as an answer?

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Clarification of Question by zsmooth-ga on 02 Oct 2002 17:07 PDT

Sure, I'll accept your anecdotal evidence as an answer, as long as it
adds something new to what has been said in the comments. Thanks!

I like dill pickles, personally. =)

My first thought would be pickles = salty/spicey = thirtsy = more soft
drinks sold = more revenue from a cheap pickle!

tlspiegel=ga

I suspect it is similar to the reason for peanuts in bars.
Movie theaters make most of their money off of the snacks,
not the movie itself, and salty snacks like pickles sell
more sodas......

Before movie theatres were only made for the viewing of the films.
Before they didn't allow food or drink. But, after couple decades
later, they saw that they could make more revenues by selling food and
drinks. And the dill pickles were one of the items. They started to
sell pop-corns and sodas much later.

In Egypt, a waiter walks up and down the aisle of the theater with
sandwiches, pickles, and tea. By the time your pickle reaches you,
multiple people have been kind enough to "pass it along" down the row.
 No napkins.  No ice.  Friendly people, though.

I buy a pickle at the movies most of the time.  Two reasons actually. 
First, I like the contrast of flavor with the more bland popcorn. 
Next, I also like the liquid butter flavored assortment of unknown
chemicals they put on top of the popcorn (have not run into any real
butter in a theater lately).  That topping has a tendency to leave a
greasy feel and aftertaste.  A bite of pickle cleans that right up.

In what part of the country do they sell pickles at movie theaters? I
have been going to movies for 20 years mainly in Florida and
Pennsylvania and have never seen pickles.

I live in Tennessee and have never seen pickles in movie theaters
except drive-ins (where they offer all kinds of foodstuffs).  However,
I read somewhere that all profits from movie theaters comes from the
snack bar so it wouldn't surprise me if they sold pate de fois gras
alongside corn-on-the-cob.

Since I moved to Texas, I've noticed that pickles are available at
every movie theater. While I was in line for popcorn at a movie this
weekend, a woman next me squealed "ooooh, I'm gonna get a pickle!"

I grew up in Oklahoma, where huge dill pickles were (and, to some
degree, still are) a tradition at the moviehouse. When I was a
youngster, I always bought a pickle as a movietime treat for a simple
reason: the cost of a pickle was only a nickel. Candy, at that time,
cost a whole dime.

I was a poor kid, and the difference between five cents and ten cents
was very significant then.

All of which reminds me of the Dean Martin song:

Choo'n Gun (1950)

My mom gave me a nickel to buy a pickle
But I didn't buy a pickle I bought some choo'n gum
Chew chew chew choo'n gum
How I love choo'n gum

"I...ah don' want a pickllllle.....
 ah jus' wanna ride on ma moOotor_cicle...
 
 an' I-ah don' wanna die......
 I jus' wanna ride on ma moOotor_cy....


 ...cle..."      - Arlo Guthrie

Hi again - to reply to your clarification request aimed at the
comments section: I buy my theater going pickles in southeastern Ohio.
 Until now, I just thought it was a "local" thing since by the time
you get to Cleveland or Columbus, they seem to have disappeared from
the snack bars.

Wellll, still not quite THE answer but some clues:

This in an email from 
Steve Collette
Goldin Pickle Co., Inc.
515 Mills Road
Garland, Texas 75040-6833 USA
Telephone: 972-272-1111
Web Site:  www.goldinpickle.com 

"Thanks for the compliment on our web site and your inquiry.  I have
been associated with Goldin Pickle Company for 26 years and during
that time (as well as previously) pickles and movie theaters have had
a great association.  The foremost reason is that so many people enjoy
the taste of dill pickles.  Beyond that, at about $1.00 each theaters
make a high profit margin because pickles are relatively inexpensive. 
And they are considered healthy with an almost insignificant number of
calories and no fat.  It makes a nice option compared to candy.  Even
though pickles are juicy it probably spurs soft drink sales because of
the increased salt content.  I do not have any hard statistics but I
believe that pickles in movie theaters are popular across the country.
 If pickles are not a part of your movie going experience then try one
the next time you escape to the movies.  You may also want to request
our new beverage, Original Goldin Pickle Juice, at Albertsons Grocery
Stores or your favorite grocer."

And these tidbits from a very interesting website
http://www.tenement.org/pickle/

"Pickles have a long history in New York. During the 17th Century,
Dutch farmers and merchants made the city home to the world's largest
pickle industry. Pickles gained in popularity as immigrants poured
into New York during the 19th and early 20th Centuries. Available
year-round, cheap and ready to eat, pickles fed tenement dwellers and
reminded many Eastern Europeans of the lands they had left behind.

Americans eat 5.2 million pounds of pickles per year. That's 9 pounds
per person!

Pickles are mentioned at least twice in the Bible (Numbers 11:5 and
Issiah 1:8)."

People like pickles.