How superfans and employees are responding to mobile ordering at the Alamo Drafthouse
DENVER — Local screenwriter Twich Collins’ go-to order at the Alamo Drafthouse movie theater is a truffle parmesan popcorn and a Coke Zero, light ice.
He’s seen hundreds of movies at the Alamo — 135 last year alone — and has his routine locked in: food and drink order written down and ready to go by the time the staff approaches his chair.
These days, Collins still goes to the Alamo — at the Sloan’s Lake, Westminster and Littleton locations — but is opting out of food and drink. This is part of what he calls “Operation Save the Sanctuary,” a movement he started to protest a nationwide rollout of a mobile food and beverage ordering system.
Alamo Drafthouse eliminated the pen and paper ordering method in exchange for a QR code. Critics of the decision, which Alamo announced earlier this year, say the mobile ordering conflicts with the theater’s reputation as having a strict and effective no phones policy.
Collins still plans to see films at the Alamo, but he won’t be ordering popcorn and a soda.
“When corporations make big, staggering changes, the instinct is to peace out and boycott as a whole,” Collins said. “I found a strategy that allows me to still attend the Alamo, but also send a message by refusing to engage with the new system.”
The idea behind the boycott is to hit the company where it hurts: sales. Movie theaters make a significant portion of their revenue from concessions.
“If you’re not ordering any food or drinks, they’re essentially making nothing off of you,” Collins said.
A representative of Alamo Drafthouse said the shift to digital is part of “future-proofing” the theater and has been a success nationwide, with the company seeing an increase in food orders. Fans and staff members say otherwise, with employees reporting their hours being cut and workloads increasing, as well as complaints from customers about food wait times and order inaccuracy.
The mobile ordering, which was implemented locally in late March, prompted a union strike at the Sloan's Lake location last weekend, where Collins joined the picket line.
“Their new system kills the community experience at Alamo,” Collins said while popping homemade popcorn in his theater-grade machine. “The staff wants fair labor practices, they want job security, and they want to bring back what makes the Alamo great, which is that personal connection.”
Last weekend wasn’t the first time Alamo staff members went on strike. After Sony Pictures acquired Alamo Drafthouse in 2024, the Sloan’s Lake workers union went on strike to protest the sweeping job cuts that followed the acquisition. They weren’t alone in that fight — theaters in New York City went on strike for two months and eventually saw the reinstatement of all 70 jobs that had been cut. Alamo Drafthouse denies any rumors that there will be jobs lost because of the mobile ordering system. They also said the return to pen and paper is unlikely.
Operation Save the Sanctuary made waves on social media, with more than 200 Alamo fans across the country signing up to participate in the boycott. Collins cites several impacts of the QR code, including a scaling back of how many staff members are on the floor, as well as the loss of interacting with staff during the order process.
“The staff members have become pseudo-family to me,” Collins said. “We used to talk in the hallways, when I’d put in my order, and now all of those opportunities for connection are gone.”
Between picketing and protesting, Collins is also writing open letters to Alamo CEO Michael Custermann and sending the company financial impact reports, illustrating how much it costs the company to seat customers who aren’t buying any food. He hopes this can send a message, but recognizes the David and Goliath of it all.
“I know this is a long shot, but what else would I do?” Collins said. “Am I just going to let this place that I love suffer? No, I’m going to do what I can to take a stand and make sure these people understand the implications of cutting corners.”
Collins is actively in contact with his friends on the Alamo staff, hearing first-hand accounts of the experience behind the scenes. One of those staff members is Josh Reitze, a four-year veteran of the theater who said the sense of loss among the staff is palpable. During the weekend’s protest, Reitze spoke with customers on their way out of the theater about their experience with the new ordering system.
“Most of the people had pretty tepid responses to the QR code,” Reitze said. “A lot of returning customers were pretty upset, and first-time customers said the experience wasn’t what they were expecting.”
According to Reitze, work culture has shifted in the weeks since the rollout due to barebones staffing and less time to turn theaters around between screenings. He’s no longer going to movies on his days off and doesn’t see as many of his coworkers due to the reduced staffing.
“It’s disappointing to be on a sinking ship,” Reitze said. “It’s crazy to say that I don’t go to the Alamo anymore.”
According to both Reitze and Collins, one of the best ways to support the staff is tipping with cash. If you order food, tip the runner. The union workers are back at work following the strike, and back in negotiations with Alamo representatives.
The union’s main asks are for a hybrid model for ordering (which would include mobile and analog ordering options), as well as more paid time off and better health care. Reitze knows strikes and union organizing is hard, but just like Collins, he believes the Alamo is worth fighting for.
“I’m sure someone at Alamo corporate will read this, so I just hope they know our strike and us speaking out isn’t just workers causing a ruckus,” Reitze said. “This is your customers telling you what they want.”
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