Hot take: I walked into a Cineplex in Austin and the popcorn machine hadn't been cleaned in a month
I went to see a late showing of Dune Part Two last Friday at the AMC on South Lamar. The smell hit me before I even got to the counter. Burnt grease mixed with something sour. I asked the kid working if they ever scrub the kettle and he just shrugged and said 'boss says it builds flavor.' I looked closer and saw a crust of black gunk an inch thick around the rim. Three other people in line turned around and walked out. I still bought a bag because I was starving and regretted it 20 minutes later. My fingers had this sticky film that soap wouldn't touch. Has anyone else noticed theaters just giving up on basic cleanliness?