Movie snacks move into the future

Ever hanker for something other than Coke, popcorn and familiar packaged candies at your local movie theater? New products are on the way, although exactly when with regard to some items may be difficult to predict.

The annual ShoWest 2000, held from March 6-9th at Bally's and Paris Casinos, was a giant gala given by the North American Theater Owners for their exhibitors -- in other words, the big chains that show us the movies. It is also the place where innovative snack and candy manufacturers showcase their latest wares in the hopes that they will wind up at the concession stand in your local theater.

Some of these hopefuls, such as the makers of various types of so-called gourmet pizzas, are clearly running against the wind. Pizza has been around a long time and very few movie chains have shown long-term interest. (Pizza is hard to prepare for a rush of people, and even harder to keep fresh when it is not selling.)

But other vendors, such as gourmet coffee producers, hot cookie bakers and new generation ice cream makers such as Dippin' Dots, are slowly finding a niche with kids and families.

New generation movie snacks actually started with the introduction of nachos a little more than 20 years ago. Frank Liberto, president of Ricos Nachos in San Antonio, was an exhibitor at ShoWest, and he is the man responsible for bringing them into the popular culture.

Liberto really looks as if he loves the gooey orange cheese that is spreadable at room temperature, when he dips a corn strip into a plastic package and puts the entire shmear into his mouth. He must be a kid at heart, or an awfully savvy salesman.

"I knew a Mexican chef named Ignacio whose nickname was Nacho," says Liberto, as he tastes his latest creation, cheese and mustard dip, "and that's actually where the name came from.

"We Texans always thought of nachos as a south Texas snack," he continues, "but the folks at Texas Stadium wanted some, and then one night, while doing a broadcast from there, Howard Cosell and Don Meredith tasted them in the booth and then talked about nachos all night on the 'Monday Night Football' broadcast. After that we couldn't produce them fast enough."

What Liberto figured out was how to pack spicy, processed cheese in an aseptic plastic package. Nachos, according to Liberto, have become a big part of family snacking at American movie theaters. But even he admits that his beloved nachos have a long way to go before they will be as popular as plain old popcorn.

One downside to nachos is what the industry terms the deterioration factor. Alan Pesin, assistant manager of the Gold Coast Cinema, says that "the cheese stain it can leave on a seat or carpet can last for years."

Dippin' Dots, meanwhile, bills itself as "the ice cream of the future." Compared with nachos, this product is less messy and a lot more manageable. These are flash-frozen bits of ice cream about the size and shape of lentils. They are dispensed, poured really, into a paper cone. And because they are frozen at minus-40 degrees, they take a long time to thaw.

That makes them popular with parents and kids. The parents love them because they don't make a mess. The kids love them because they go crunch in the mouth, and for what is a cold, rich, refreshing flavor.

It's actually a fun show just to watch them dispensed. A computer- controlled robotic vacuum arm retrieves the cups they are served in, and the dots come flying down into the cups with a loud whirring sound.

Right now you can eat Dippin' Dots at Green Valley Cinemas, where they come in chocolate, vanilla and mixed. Other flavors, such as chocolate mint and strawberry, are on the way, to other UA Cinemas.

The current coffee craze is also creeping into movie theaters. Regal Cinemas has picked up products from Boyd's Gourmet Coffees, a Portland, Ore., company, which means you can now drink cappuccinos and lattes at your local movie house.

Pretzels, billed as a low-fat snack, are also gaining in popularity. A company called Kim & Scott's created a terrific buzz at ShoWest with its delicious mozzarella pizza-filled pretzels. Perhaps these will succeed where pizza fails, because it is a modular food that can be popped into the mouth in the dark, without the worry of smearing sauce all over the place.

In fact, many of the manufacturers exhibiting their wares at ShoWest were pushing modular foods. Kraft Foods showed off its newest snack pockets called Handi-Stuffs, cylinders of dough stuffed with a choice of sausage and cheese, ham and cheddar or pepperoni and cheese. (The response appeared mixed, judging from the looks on the faces of the people tasting.)

There is a new generation of candies and cookies fighting for space, too. One of the big hits at ShoWest was the Creamsicle Stick -- rubbery sticks with the texture of red licorice, in flavors such as Orange and Cream or Strawberry and Cream. The gummy candy is swirled with an Oreo-like cream filling. Sour Neon Gummy Worms, which look almost incandescent in their plastic packages, also created quite a stir. Both of these candies are expected to turn up in local theaters in about six weeks.

Then there are Crispy Critters, sold by a company called Hot Cookies. These are bite-sized, crunchy-style chocolate chip cookies baked fresh and sold hot from a dispenser. The list goes on and on.

It's really up to the individual theater chains to test market all these new products and see what sells where. Because tastes in food have always been partly regional in this country, Las Vegas doesn't rate to have the same snacks as say, Miami or Minneapolis.

But you'll still be able to get a bag of hot buttered popcorn wherever you go.

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