Family Theatre — Local services in East Tawas

On July 26, 2015, my wife and I went to the Family Theater to watch a 6:30 p.m. movie. After paying for our tickets, we ordered a large popcorn (extra butter) and two small beverages.As per usual, the refreshments cost more than the tickets. Within two (2) minutes of taking our seats, a staff member advised the audience that the projector was not functioning. We were offered a refund or the opportunity to watch the movie about to play on their other screen.

We received the ticket price refund, but were refused a refund on the refreshments. Other people in the refund line were also requesting refunds for the food and beverages which they had purchased at the Family Theater. The customers should have received refunds for the refreshments purchased, or, in the alternative, a voucher for the same items for the next time that they visit this establishment.

Needless to say, I am sorely disappointed with the Family Theater, especially since, I believe, they were aware of the problems with the projector before they announced it to the audience. You see, we have been to this theater many times before. They are always playing previews of coming attractions, advertisements, and public service announcements well before the scheduled showing of movies. On the date in question, they were not.

Living in an area of few cinemas, I will have little choice but to return to the Family Theater. Next time, however,...well, I may or may not secret snacks in my pockets...

Nice little movie theater. Prices, especially with snacks and drinks, are incredibly low compared to what most theaters charge nowadays. It is kind of lame how you have to pay for drink refills, though. The way you buy tickets is quite old-fashioned; there's no way to buy them online, and there's no assigned seating, so if you're coming with friends or family you kind of just have to hope you can get seats together. Speaking of which, we came to see an afternoon matinee the other day, but they were sold out by the time we made it to the front of the line, which stretched outside of the building. So we asked if we could buy tickets for the evening's showing, but were told no, which was annoying. So we spent a few hours in town before we could come back and buy tickets for the evening show. But the theater itself is nice enough, and the popcorn was tasty, and we usually experience better service than we did the other day. Overall, a great option for families looking for something to do on...

The seats are garbage and uncomfortable. The second screening room has a tiny screen and a terrible sound system. The first screen has a terrible sound system as well. The only positives that I can say about the theater is being the cost per ticket and concessions. However, its clear that this family-run business has little to no desire to update any of the problems that I listed. If that's the case, then don't expect anymore of my business. Family's dont want to suffer with sub-par experiences when going to the movies whether they're a summer tourist or a...