Law OKs alcohol at dinner-movie theaters

ALBANY -- Dinner, a movie and beer all in one place?

That became legal Thursday when Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed a law allowing so-called dinner-and-a-movie theaters to serve alcoholic beverages.

Such establishments weren't previously prohibited from obtaining a license to sell liquor. But they had to go through numerous regulatory hurdles, according to a memo by the sponsor of the bill, state Sen. Carl Marcellino (R-Syosset).

The law streamlines the process by expanding the state's definition of a restaurant to include movie theaters that feature table seating. For a movie theater to serve alcohol, all seating must be at tables and offer a full restaurant menu selection, the law says.

According to the State Senate website, a number of entertainment companies have expressed interest in constructing new "restaurant theaters" around the state.