Who doesn’t love a good outing to the movies? Sure, tickets are pricey and concessions cost even more, but the cinema remains one of the most popular forms of entertainment worldwide. Reader’s Digest and Good Morning America recently teamed up to report 13 secrets movie theater employees won’t typically tell you—and some of them will make you think twice next time you take in a flick.

Since most money earned from ticket sales goes straight back to movie studios, theaters rely on concessions to turn a profit. That’s why concessions are so overprices, and why they make the popcorn so irresistible. Most theaters use chemicals on the popcorn to cause its aroma to fill the theater, weakening the will power of cost-conscious moviegoers.

Don’t confuse warm with fresh, either. Popcorn keeps for a day or two, and may still be fresher than some of the other concession items. Cinema employees say they typically avoid the pretzels, hot dogs and nachos because they know how stale the food actually is—the nacho cheese could have even been sitting out for days before being melted and poured over chips.

And don’t fool yourself into thinking you can find any deals at the movie concessions.

“Combination deals don’t save you money at some theaters. You’d pay the same price if you purchased the items separately,” admits the Reader’s Digest source.

The concession stand isn’t the only place in the theater you’ll find old food, either.

“Your suspicions are correct,” wrote a cinema worker. “Sometimes I sweep excess food under the seats. Movies often end every few minutes. Sometimes, three or more screenings end at the same time. I don’t always have time to clean everything up.”

The movie experience is all about sales. Movies start late on purpose, but always end on time, otherwise ushers wouldn’t know when to begin cleanup. Theaters tell customers to arrive early so they will be present to watch plenty of commercials and previews.

The theater employees also offer some advice for those hoping to get a better movie experience. If you think paying extra to see an “Extreme Digital” screening is worth the cost, think again. Theaters may advertise the format as better than Imax, but it is actually lower quality and easier for the cinema to maintain. Moviegoers can get an optimal experience, however, by sitting in the middle of the auditorium. Since sound checks are conducted in those seats, optimal audio can be found in that area. Those sitting too far to either side might hear distorted sound.