A pint with your popcorn?

There's been some talk, in the Twitterverse and elsewhere, about Empire Theatres' plan to serve alcohol at their new multiplex at Lansdowne Park. Is stopping in for a quick one before the curtain rises part of the "premium VIP guest experience" the Nova Scotia-based cinema chain promises? This illustration of the lounge area certainly makes it look like the kind of place where you could order a rye and ginger.

On closer inspection though, those are coffee cups on the tables. Maybe what Empire has in mind is something more like this. In fact Ciniplex now serves alcohol inside theatres at three locations, in London, Toronto and Oakville. "It's a hit," a Ciniplex spokesperson says of its 19-and-older screening rooms. "People seem to really like it."

Empire Theatres is mum on its plans, at least for now. The company says it's still in "development and research" with movie-goers, and will issue more details about its Lansdowne multiplex soon.

If the theatre is allowed to serve alcohol, it will be another blow for the nearby Mayfair Theatre. The historic cinema's owners are already worried a multiplex at Lansdowne will put them out of business. To add insult to injury, when they sought permission to serve booze during screenings, they were turned down.