SLO movie theater ‘a treasure’ with cheap concessions. Here’s what I got for $25
In the center of San Luis Obispo’s historic Chinatown is an independent movie theater playing arthouse films and cult classics for avid moviegoers.
The Palm Theatre, a cherished three-screen cinema with a long legacy of bringing eclectic films to locals, has been operating on Palm Street since the late 1980s.
An assortment of movie posters are displayed in the windows of its unassuming beige business front, along with a giant calendar listing flicks scheduled to hit the big screen this month.
The theater serves as one of the venues for the annual San Luis Obispo International Film Festival. In July 2024, the film festival merged with the Palm Theatre to establish the SLO Film Center.
Mary, a longtime Los Osos resident who requested her last name not be used, called the independent cinema “a treasure” that she’s been seeking out for 35 years, she told The Tribune.
She encouraged me to visit the theater on a Monday, when tickets are cheapest, for On a Budget, a new monthly series where Tribune reporters try reader-suggested foods, drinks and activities around San Luis Obispo County on a $25 budget.
“Bargain Monday has been a fixture for many, many years,” Mary said. “Also, for a long time, a small popcorn was only $1.”
I’ve seen movies at the Palm Theatre a few times, although never on a Monday and typically by myself.
I was curious: Could I go on a date night to the movies for $25 or less?
Here’s what I found out.
Is the Palm Theatre affordable?
Location: 817 Palm St., San Luis Obispo
My partner Nigel and I live about a 15-minute walk from the Palm Theatre.
On a cold, overcast Monday night, we threw on our coats and trekked to the cinema for a cozy night out at the movies. We got to the Palm Theatre with about 10 minutes to spare before the film’s 7 p.m. showtime.
We were there to see “Freaky Tales,” a new action dramedy starring Pedro Pascal and Jay Ellis that’s set in 1987 Oakland.
I approached the ticket window and bought two tickets for $9 apiece, totaling $18.
With pink ticket stubs in hand, Nigel and I walked through the maroon doors and over to the Palm’s humble concessions counter. Even though we only had a few bucks leftover, I was surprised by the amount of options we had.
Candies including Raisinets, Junior Mints, Snickers, Crunch, Almond Joy and Kit-Kats all cost $3 per treat.
Although the Palm Theatre raised popcorn prices following the COVID-19 pandemic, the smallest bag remains a bargain at $2.
Coffee and cocoa cost $3 each, while tea and sodas start at $4.
I decided to stick with a classic movie theater combo — popcorn and a soda.
My time at the Palm Theatre in SLO
Nigel and I headed to our showing, walking down a long hallway covered in the painted faces of Hollywood icons. We stepped into Screen 3 — the theater’s smallest screening room, with about 40 seats — and quickly discovered we were the only moviegoers there.
We selected seats in the center of the cinema and started slurping our $4 small Diet Coke and grabbing handfuls of delicious $2 popcorn. While it wasn’t fully warm, it tasted fresh and had heaps of buttery, salty flavor.
As the trailers started, a few more folks filed into seats behind us.
For just under two hours, we all watched a “genre-blending thrill ride” following “four interconnected stories where underdogs, misfits and legends collide,” according to the Palm Theatre’s description of the film.
Told in four chapters, the movie is outrageously bloody featuring a killer soundtrack and eccentric characters including an NBA star, rappers and teenage punks.
The screening room was dark, the sound was loud and the seats were comfy. What more could you ask for?
I was thoroughly entertained by the film, and Nigel said he also loved its “more unique style” of filmmaking.
How I spent my $25 budget at a local movie theater
In total, I spent $24 on two movie tickets, a snack and a drink, coming just under budget for my date night at the Palm Theatre.
If you’re on a tighter budget, you can skip the concessions and stick to a $9 Bargain Monday ticket.
For those looking to splurge, tack on a $2 popcorn, $3 candy or $4 soda.
If you come on any day besides Monday, tickets cost $10 for matinees, or $12 for film screenings after 6 p.m. Admission is $10 for seniors and children.
The theater also offers a “Palmie” membership. For an annual fee of $99 — or $79 if you’re a student — you can get six free movie tickets, a free small popcorn per visit and $1 off all tickets.
Skye McLennan, the executive director of the SLO Film Center, which oversees day-to-day operations at the Palm Theatre and the SLO Film Festival, told The Tribune the theater is focused on “making cinema affordable and accessible” to local moviegoers.
She said all the factors that make the Palm Theatre special — its careful curation of diverse films, throwback movie events, filmmaker Q&As, and yes, its $2 popcorn — are here to stay “for many, many, many years to come.”
“I think there are a lot of barriers to entry, and cost is one of them,” McLennan said. “So we really just want people to come to the theater, experience the movies and have a great time.”
After my most recent experience at the Palm, I feel even more grateful to live in a city with a thriving independent cinema where I can lose myself in amazing stories told on the big screen.
What are Palm Theatre open hours?
The Palm Theatre is open Thursday through Monday, with showtimes starting around 4 p.m. on weekdays and 1 p.m. on weekends. The final screenings of the night typically occur around 7 p.m.
The theater is closed to moviegoers on Tuesday and Wednesday.
This story was originally published April 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "SLO movie theater ‘a treasure’ with cheap concessions. Here’s what I got for $25."
