A proposal by Regal Cinemas to sell beer and wine inside its Santa Maria movie theater is getting pushback from a local youth coalition that works just steps away from the Town Center Mall.
Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley says they received a notice from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) informing them that Regal applied for a beer-and-wine license, known as a Type 41 license.
Program Manager Gina Cortez said the application immediately raised concerns for the youth they serve.
“It was alarming for us because the mall is a place the youth hang out,” Cortez said.
The organization’s Youth Action Coalition meets twice a month at its office near the Santa Maria Town Center, about an eight-minute walk from the movie theater, and Cortez says many students stop at the mall before or after meetings.
“There’s already very limited places here in Santa Maria where the youth can go to just be kids, hang out,” she said.
Several students have submitted written statements to ABC, arguing that alcohol inside the theater would change the family-friendly environment. One student, Hector Damian, a ninth grader at Pioneer Valley High School, wrote:
“[I] don't think movie theaters should sell alcohol because the theater is family-friendly. If they do sell alcohol,first of all, it will make the whole theater stink like alcohol, and second of all, adults who drink a lot can get drunk and might go crazy and misbehave”
Youth Action Coalition Coordinator Gabi Delgado said teens are also thinking beyond underage access, including concerns about drinking and driving.
“The parents or guardians may be drinking and they’re getting in the car with them and driving home and that opens the door for a lot of unfortunate situations,” she said.
Many movie theaters now serve beer and wine along with popcorn and candy. KSBY News reached out to the San Luis Obispo Police Department to inquire whether DUIs have ever been linked to people leaving theaters that serve alcohol. A spokesperson said the department does not track where DUI suspects were drinking prior to an arrest, meaning there is no available data showing whether alcohol-serving theaters have contributed to DUI incidents.
While the youth coalition is voicing concerns, some mallgoers say they’re open to the change. Santa Maria resident Adrianne Cortez said she likes the option.
“Then it’ll be someone like, ‘Hey you want to watch a movie and have a couple drinks or whatever?' Let’s do it then, you know, instead of being home.”
Another shopper, Hailie Cortez, said it might even help bring people back to the theater.
“I feel like not a lot of people come to the movies anymore so maybe it’ll boost people coming to the mall as well.”
ABC spokesperson Devin Blankenship provided the following statement:
“A Type 41 license is specifically intended for venues that operate a full kitchen, allowing them to serve beer and wine only. During the application process for a Type 41, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control works closely with the license applicant, local law enforcement, local government, and the public to make ensure that granting a new alcohol license does not adversely affect community health, safety, or welfare.
Any person or organization may file a written protest against a license application by submitting a signed protest (using ABC’s form or a letter) within 30 days from when the public notice is posted or mailed.”
The application is currently under review. Regal Cinemas has not yet responded to KSBY’s request for comment.
