In the show Drake & Josh, the movie theater where Josh works is called ‘The Premiere,’ and I honestly don’t understand how it operates. For one thing, it seems to have only a single auditorium. On top of that, there’s a mini restaurant inside, with actual tables and chairs where people can sit, order food, and eat—even without buying a movie ticket or watching a film. I’ve never been to a theater like that, especially not one with a built-in restaurant. The theaters I’m used to have multiple auditoriums, maybe a bar, and a standard snack counter—that’s it.
Before every theater was owned by one of two major corporations, there used to be some actual variation in theater layouts.
In Salt Lake City, Utah. There is a movie theater similar to that called Brewvies. It’s a bar/restaurant/theater. In the theater itself they have couches and tables where you can eat and drink while watching the movie.
A movie theater is a location that would be familiar as a hangout destination for kids and teens, and therefore works as a third space for the writers to get the cast to interact outside of a school setting without the need to explain why Drake & Josh’s rival/crush/whatever are at their house or whatever. The restaurant/bar area is there to facilitate those interactions which wouldn’t really happen while watching a movie.
