Who doesn’t want unlimited popcorn brought by a personal waiter to their leather reclining seat while watching a movie? iPic Theatre, located only 10 minutes away from Stone Ridge in the new Pike and Rose complex, provides just that. This high-end movie theatre allows guests to feel like they are watching a movie at home–but with a waiter at their disposal.
Of course, there is a catch. While the average price of a ticket at a less luxurious theatre is $12, iPic ticket prices start at $16. According to the iPic website, the $16 ticket only “includes reserved comfortable oversized leather seats that are extra wide,” not waiter service– for that perk, you must buy Premium Plus seating for $28 per ticket.
Premium Plus seating entails “regular popcorn, blankets, pillows, extra comfortable reserved seats that recline, waiter service at your seat, and no internet booking fees.” The prices may seem a bit exorbitant, but when asked about the cost, the iPic receptionist, Claudia Crespo, says the experience is worth your money. Says Crespo, “iPic brings your couch to a theatre, but the experience is much more comfortable because you don’t have to stress about cleaning up or anything; you just have to sit down and relax.”
So is it really worth spending so much money on a movie ticket? To answer the question, this reporter went to iPic to experience the Premium Plus option–ready to be convinced that a $28 ticket was a complete waste of her money. The reclining leather seats worked their magic, however, and any sense of regret disappeared. It was like watching a movie at home, but there was something special about the experience that made it even better. On every Premium Plus seat lies an extremely soft blanket and a pillow–this is one of the ways that the iPic Theatre makes the experience feel homey. Loren Giulieri, ’17, has been to iPic before and comments, “If the movie I went to see ended up being boring, I would’ve fallen asleep in seconds. I was so comfortable.”
Right before the movie starts, a waiter passes out complimentary popcorn to each person in a Premium Plus seat, removing the need to wait in the long line at the concession counter to buy candy or popcorn. And even during the film, at the push of a button, a waiter arrives in a matter of minutes, ready to take your order or bring whatever you may need. The menu at iPic offers a wide variety of food, from pizza to mahi mahi fish tacos to croquettes; at least one thing on the menu will appeal to you. A short five minutes after pressing the button, the waiter arrived, wrote down my pizza order, and left. The food took 10 minutes, but really only felt like two because I was distracted by the movie. The pizza itself was nothing special, but it definitely enhanced my movie experience.
Verdict: If I were not broke from spending all my babysitting money on Starbucks, I would go to iPic every time I wanted to see a movie. iPic is such a comfortable, special experience that I would recommend everyone visit. Scrape up those extra dollars, grab some friends on a Friday night, and treat yourself to a luxurious movie and dining experience. If you’re still hungry after the movie, Pike and Rose has two new Chipotle-style restaurants–ShopHouse and &pizza.
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