Windsor scores big at the box office with curbside popcorn sales

Published by admin on Wed, 03/25/2020 - 10:43am

The Windsor Theater will not show movies for the time being due to the COVID-19 outbreak, however, people can still get a taste of fresh movie theater popcorn. Cars lined up to Highway 3 in Hampton hoping to grab some popcorn to go Saturday, which is offered at the Windsor Theatre from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. SUBMITTED PHOTOS

By:

Greg Forbes

Publisher

The show must go on. Last week, in order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds put precautions in place that prohibited large public gatherings in places such as gyms, movie theaters and restaurants.

That measure hit close to home for many area businesses, including Hampton’s Windsor Theatre. While the theater can no longer show movies, for the time being, food service establishments are allowed to offer to carry out and delivery services.

Windsor manager Jim Davies said theater staff saw this allowance as an opportunity to keep the theater’s doors open and the marquee lit. Last Wednesday, Thurs-day, Friday and Saturday evenings, the theater offered customers a chance to get freshly popped popcorn and soda to go for one hour each night.

“We wanted a way for people to still be able to get fresh popcorn to go with their movies as they have to stay at home for social distancing purposes,” he said.

Davies said he wasn’t sure what the response would be, but the community showed a resounding want for a comforting piece of familiarity. From Wednesday to Friday, the theater served 86 customers, collecting $842 in sales and donations. Saturday, normally one of the most popular movie nights of the week, the Windsor had more than 50 customers. At one point, the line of cars stretched to Highway 3.

The crowds aren’t much of a problem for the staff though, Davies said. One employee will meet customers at the door to take their order and relay it to the people behind the counter. Another employee will then take orders out to the customer once they are filled.

“We’re a ‘well-buttered’ machine,” Davies said, adding that one of the employees also works as a nurse, so all sanitation procedures are being followed. “We are very, very good at disinfecting, washing our hands an playing it safe.”

The sales will continue this week and into the future, provided no further restrictions are put into place. Customers can stop by the theater from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday through Saturday. The theater will be closed on Sunday.