The first thing I was excited to learn was that iPic has happy hour on Tuesdays, available only to their members, but membership is FREE! $2 beers and $5 house wines are just some of the things offered for members. There are other perks of being a member, including a point system where you can earn gift cards, a free birthday movie ticket, gold and platinum levels with more perks of their own, advanced ticket offers & member screenings and most importantly, discounted pricing! For example, to sit in the plush seats I was in on a Sunday through Thursday would be $27 without membership (Premium Plus section); with membership, $17. $10 savings per ticket, just for a free membership! There is no reason NOT to be a member, even if you’re only going to visit iPic once.
Something really fun and innovative for the Seattle area is the “wine dispenser”, where you can purchase a debit type card with as much money on it as you’d like, and use the card to purchase wines in various ounce amounts. It is like wine tasting, but with a wide variety of labels and varietals. Super fun! (*The one caveat to this is that an iPic staff member must actually push the button to pour the wine, due to specific laws in the state of Washington. Not a big deal.)
Just like a normal movie theater, iPic has Tanzy Express, which includes a huge selection of candy, popcorn, snacks and beverages available for purchase before you head into your movie. The best part is that they also have a variety of items you can bring into the theater with you on a tray if you’re seated in premium. Some of the items available include alcohol, and a fairly large selection of food including pizza, sliders, flatbread, and dessert.
Walking in to the theater, I was impressed. Plush, oversized bright orange recliners, complete with a pillow and blanket, awaited me. This is truly a luxury movie experience. I was seated in the “premium plus” section, complete with a server and full food, wine, beer and cocktail menu. These seats also include bottomless popcorn! Score! (And only $5 more per ticket, less than the cost of one popcorn at any movie theater these days.)
A few notes:
I was impressed by a fairly expansive wine list, with prices that weren’t too crazy.
They have an option to purchase a cocktail shaker for $14, and it comes with the equivalent of 2 martini sized drinks inside, and you get the keep the shaker!
The food menu has been being reworked quite a bit lately, and while I wasn’t overly impressed with the sliders or spring rolls that I ordered, I am excited to get back and try more at a future date.
One must try is the Red Velvet Bread Pudding and Creme Brulee Cheesecake. The bread pudding was served piping hot, and was a great comfort food. The cheesecake was simply delicious; incredibly creamy, perfectly sweet with the bruleed top and a delicious crust, I loved this! If anything, I’d go back just to have a glass of wine and that cheesecake during my movie!
The best part? You leave feeling super relaxed, and you don’t have to clean up.
Mark your calendars for some huge summer blockbuster release dates:
- May 3: Iron Man
- May 10: Great Gatsby (Can’t wait for this!)
- May 17th: Star Trek: Into the Darkness
- May 24th: Hangover 3 and Fast and the Furious 6
All movies will be going on pre-sale soon at iPic.com.
Events: iPic also offers corporate and social events for groups of 10 to 450 guests, with a great catering menu (a different menu that I’ve also had, which is better than what I experienced during the movie), with prices starting at $49 per person. **Added bonus for those who book an event before April 30th, you can receive a complimentary appetizer or dessert, gift card or upgraded bar!
Overall, I liked this experience and definitely think it is worth the slightly higher cost than a traditional movie theater. I’ll be back, soon!