The Exhibitor (1950)

EXTRA PROFITS EP-3 La Roy Gee, manager, Dean, Butler, Ga., is pictured at left serving popcorn to two young patrons. Gee has been handling the house for his father, a druggist, for several months. At right, Britt Carpenter, Colonial, Valdes, N. C., is seen with the popcorn machine he built for the convenience of his house. Ice Cream Spells P-R-O-F-l-T Abel And Silber, In Their Philadelphia Operations, Have Words Of Advice As To Its Year-Round Potential By Cliff Fischenberg There’s profit in selling cream. That’s the conclusion drawn by thou¬ sands of theatremen throughout the country whose extra profits departments have cashed in on the sales of this type of merchandise all year around. It is especially so in the case of Bob Abel and Art Silber, whose experience with ice cream at the 15 houses serviced by the company in the Philadelphia area has meant added revenue without additional help, and a year-around staple of the refreshment stands. Abel and Silber, now in their second year of ice cream sales, strongly recom¬ mend other exhibitors to introduce the product into their own theatres by the simple expedient of contacting their local ice cream dealer. They declare that the dealer will install without cost a two-, three-, or four-hole cabinet at the re¬ freshment stand and a larger storage cabinet in back of the screen or in some other convenient location. He will install special electrical receptacles for both cab¬ inets so that their cooling units will con¬ tinue to operate after the house lights’ switch has been thrown off. The dealer will make ice cream deliveries three times a week in the summer, and twice a week during the cooler months. In addition, he will supply an attractive electricallylighted glass counter sign to inform patrons that ice cream is sold at the stand. Since the addition of ice cream at the lobby stand does not necessitate added help, its inclusion entails no additional overhead, except for the negligible cost of electricity. At Abel and Silber houses, the ice cream comes sandwiched between wafers EXTRA PROFITS Vol. 5, No, 4 July 5, 1950 EXTRA PROFITS appear* every fourth Wednesday as o regular special feature department of EXHIBITOR, and is devoted exclusively to the design, construction, maintenance, management, and exploitation of the¬ atre vending equipment, vendable items, and other profit producing adjuncts for efficient theatre opera¬ tion. For further information, address EXHIBITOR, published weekly by Jay Emanuel Publications, Inc. Publishing office: 1225 Vine Street, Philadelphia 7, Pennsylvania. New York Office: 1600 Broadway, New York 19. West Coast Representative: Paul Manning, 923 Alandele Avenue, Los Angeles 36, California. Editorial consultant: W. B. “Bill" England. Advisory boards— Composed of executives and heads of the conces¬ sions and vending departments of theatre circuits: Leslie R. Schwartz, Andrews, Inc., New York; Bayard M. Grant, Durwood Theatres, Kansas City; C. Dale Fox, Fox Wisconsin Amusement Corporation, Milwaukee; Frank C. Bickerstaff, Georgia Theatre Com¬ pany, Atlanta; William O'Donnell, Interstate Circuit, Dallas; Raymond Willie, Interstate Theatres, Dallas; Harold F. Chester, Theatre Cooperative Candy Com¬ pany, Salt Lake City; Miss Marie Frye, Tri-State The¬ atre Corporation, Des Moines; Louise Bramblett, WilKin Theatre Supply, Inc., Atlanta; Van Myers, Wometco Theatres, Miami, Fla.; J. J. Fitzgibbons, Jr., Theatre Confections, Ltd., Toronto, Canada. Composed of manufacturers, concessionaires, and other leaders in the candy, popcorn, and allied fields: A. F. Rathbun, Fred W. Amend Company, Chicago; Richard C. Fowler, The Coca-Cola Company, New York; Marvin Spitz, American Royal Candies, Inc., Los Angeles; Vincent O'Brien, Armstrong Pop¬ corn Company, Lake View, la.; Charles G. Manley, Manley, Inc., Kansas City; W. B. Riley, Brock Candy Company, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Joseph Blumenthal, Blumenthal Brothers, Philadelphia; L. M. Shaw, Smith Brothers, Inc., Poughkeepsie, N. Y.; C. M. Said, McPhail Chocolate Company, Oswego, N. Y. measuring two by six inches, and is in three flavors, chocolate, a vanilla-straw¬ berry-chocolate combination, and vanilla, the consistently best seller. The price is 10 cents. One feature of the ice cream sandwich is its exclusiveness, since it is not generally available at stores. Another feature is that the patron gets plenty of ice cream for his 10 cents. Abel and Silber are planning to add to their line a 15-cent Dixie Cup sundag, ice cream covered with chocolate syrup, topped by a cherry. Since the ice cream is firmly frozen when it is handed to a patron, there is no cause for apprehension over dripping on seats or carpets. Most patrons remove the paper wrapper and drop it in a receptacle near the refreshment stand before going to their seats. The behind-the-counter cabinet, meas¬ uring about two feet by four feet, holds about two dozen boxes of 24 ice cream sandwiches. The storage cabinet holds about twice that amount. Placed behind or adjacent to the candy counter, the cabinet is within easy reach of the con¬ cession girl, and can be made quite attrac¬ tive by covering the sides with stained or varnished plywood. From experience, Abel and Silber offer a word of warning: make certain that a lock-type electrical connection is used on both cabinets so the plugs cannot be pulled out inadvertently. Should this happen, and the ice cream be spoiled, the ice July 5, 1950 EXHIBITOR