At the end of the day, there is nothing greater than sitting down with a box of pizza to watch a movie. This is something Chicago-based video store Family Video took into consideration when finding ways to compete with other movie industries like Netflix and Redbox. In the next two years, Family Video expects to open 250 new locations in partnership with Marco’s Pizza, with one location open already in Bedford, TX.
“Starting this summer, we will offer pizza delivery along with our movies,” manager Adam Howard said. “It is going to do great things for our business.”
In an attempt to compete with other home movie industries, the privately owned business had to think out of the box, yet their workers are still confident in the business they’re providing.
“The biggest advantage we have is our customer service, we are here, all the time, friendly faces, smiling, joking around with people,” Howard said. “Not to mention, over places like Red Box, we have five night options and we have many movies on Blu-ray and all these other kind of big titles you can’t find anywhere else.”
The Family Video located on 1545 East Main Street in Allen is now holding open interviews for those interested in a summer job, since there will be new jobs offered to bake and deliver the pizzas.
“The whole idea of delivering pizzas and movies is genius, because there are younger people who want to rent movies but can’t drive, so the whole idea of getting it delivered to them is just plain genius,” freshman Caroline Brugge said.
Other students who are able to drive still find that ordering their food and their movie online will save both time and money.
“If I want to have friends over and watch a movie and eat food, it’ll take me time to drive to the video store and then to the pizzeria, so if instead I can just have it delivered to me that’ll save me gas money and time and that’s pretty sweet,” sophomore Garron Weeks said.
While many students are excited about the prospect of their movies and food being delivered to them, other students are more cautious, seeing how this could affect their health.
“Well, I was really surprised when I saw that sign about them hiring for the pizza place, I had no idea that they did that,” junior Kassidy Cox said. “But I can’t explain how excited and problematic that is, like I’m never going to be able to get a movie without simultaneously getting a pizza anymore so it’s exciting, but my weight is not going to appreciate that.”
Yet, overall, the idea of being able to order your movie and pizza online, cheaper than other places offer, is a deal one cannot resist.
“What’s better than pizza with a movie?” Howard said.
