The brilliant way one movie theater is dealing with crunchy eaters

We’ve all been there before: You’re at the movie theater, totally engrossed in a film. Harry is about to duel it out with Voldemort once and for all. Katniss is about to go HAM on Clove. Whatever it is, things are about to get good, when suddenly, you hear it: The unmistakable “CRUNCH munch munch munch” of someone else’s popcorn. And not even some angry side-eye will salvage the mood.

We love eating popcorn at the movies, but sometimes other people’s snacking can ruin the ambiance. So Tim Chung decided to do something about it. He’s opening Syndicated, a bar/restaurant/theater in Brooklyn, NY that tackles the problem head-on. And he’s seriously thought of everything: The theater menu features only quiet food to cut down on loud crunching, and nothing requires silverware.

“The last thing you want is more excuses to make sounds in the theater,” Chung told Brooklyn Paper. Basically, he wants to help you avoid being that guy who’s ruining the movie by making too much noise with his snacks.

The theater menu might be for quiet snacking, but it’s still filled with delicious options like loaded tater tots, bacon-butter meatballs and beer battered mushrooms. The larger dining room will feature a full menu with burgers, sandwiches and large dishes like buttermilk fried chicken.

For Chung, Syndicated combines his love of movies and food. He also wants to bring back the fun and excitement of going out for dinner and a movie instead of just streaming something at home or picking something up from a Redbox.

“People are going to the movies less and less, and I felt puzzled and heartbroken by that,” he continued. “So I wanted to make the movie-going experience more special, and I wanted to jazz it up by adding booze and really good food.” Can’t argue with that.

If you ask me, the true brilliance of Syndicated is its dining flexibility. Do you want to grab a bite, then see a movie? See a movie, then grab a bite? Eat while you watch? Everything is possible. You can even eat before, during and after you watch—and never once have to worry about someone being a loud snacker. Now THAT’S my kind of theater.

(Image via Flickr.)