Cinépolis fires up Blockbuster Food Festival to boost cinema food spend

INDIA: Cinépolis India has rolled out the Blockbuster Food Festival, a three-month, pan-India food-and-beverage push designed to turn cinema snacks into a bigger business. Running from January to March 2026, the campaign will trial 21 new menu items across more than 80 locations in over 40 cities.

The festival operates under Foovies, Cinépolis India’s food-led platform launched earlier this year, and uses the exhibitor’s national footprint as a live laboratory. Dishes that perform best during the trial will be absorbed into the permanent menu at the end of the campaign.

The strategy targets a clear gap. India’s F&B-to-ticket spend ratio stands at 50–55 per cent, roughly half the global average of 100 per cent. Cinépolis sees menu innovation as the fastest way to narrow that divide.

“Food already contributes 30 per cent of our revenue, but audiences are only beginning to see it as part of the cinema experience,” said Cinépolis India managing director Devang Sampat. “This festival lets us test what works at scale. What audiences love stays.”

The rotating menu mixes regional comfort food with indulgent crowd-pleasers, including desi chicken keema with kulcha, hot garlic kurkure momos, dal vada tikki, potato bomb and peanut butter cheesecake. New items will be introduced each month to keep repeat visitors curious.