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Want a Bud or some vino to enjoy with that movie?

Mike McKibbin
Citizen Telegram Editor
File Photo/Mike McKibbin/Citizen Telegram
Staff Photo |

The next time you go to see a movie at the Brenden 7 Theatres in Rifle, you can buy a 3.2 beer or a glass of wine. As long as you are an adult, of course.

The theaters started offering the adult beverages on May 17, after getting Rifle City Council approval of a liquor license in February.

Brenden Corp. Vice President of Operations Walter Eichinger said response has been good.



“We didn’t expect a great demand,” he stated. “I’d say we average six to 10 beers on Friday and Saturday nights and two or three glasses of wine.”

Eichinger said one disappointment on the part of customers who wish to have a beer or some wine has been if they don’t have a form of legal identification.



“Even if they obviously look like they’re of legal age, we have to see proof,” he noted. “Not everyone brings their driver’s license with them to see a movie. But we still have to turn them away.”

A few people have asked for a second beer, but they are turned down as well, Eichinger said.

“They understood,” he said. “We explain the rules to everyone when they buy a drink, so there’s no surprises.”

A detailed operations plan from Brenden to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors at the theaters was a condition of approval from the city. It includes:

• Colored wrist bands that glow in the dark are given to each patron who purchases alcohol and are required to be worn. This will make it easier to identify an approved 21-and-over patron and help identify an underage patron drinking alcohol in a dark theater.

• Movies that are heavily marketed towards teenagers are restricted from all alcohol sales, along with G- or PG-13-rated movies.

• Those that violate the rules and are caught will be removed from the theater without refund, and banned from the theaters for no less than three months. And a call to the non-emergency line of the police department will be made.

• In addition, Brenden will fully cooperate in any undercover “test buys” to ensure employees are following all rules and restrictions.


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