{"id":120398,"date":"2025-08-01T13:45:29","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T11:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mallorcaglobalmag.es\/?p=120398"},"modified":"2025-08-01T13:31:50","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T11:31:50","slug":"renee-garcia-bar-ocimax-essence-of-cinema-in-rooms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mallorcaglobalmag.es\/en\/renee-garcia-bar-ocimax-essence-of-cinema-in-rooms\/","title":{"rendered":"Ren\u00e9e Garc\u00eda, the soul of the Ocimax bar: “The essence of cinema is in the movie theaters”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Para muchos, the cinema is synonymous with popcorn<\/strong>. As soon as you walk through the doors, that warm aroma\u2014half butter, half nostalgia\u2014transports you somewhere else even before the film begins. That smell marks the real start of a movie<\/strong>. But for Ren\u00e9e Garc\u00eda<\/strong>, in charge of the Ocimax<\/strong> snack bar for more than two decades, that scent is not just part of the atmosphere: it is her day-to-day, her work rhythm and, in many ways, her life<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Ren\u00e9e is clear about it: “I believe there was a before and after the pandemic”<\/strong>. Cinemas, like so many other meeting places, were transformed<\/strong>. The explosion of streaming platforms, inflation and changing audience habits have left their mark. \u201cWhen we were locked down, people needed ways to entertain themselves and the platforms became heavily used. Not as many people come as before. Besides, going to the cinema with the family these days is an effort. Even so, we have plenty of offers here and, for something that may seem expensive, we\u2019re among the cheapest in Mallorca<\/strong>.\u201d<\/strong> she says with a mix of pride and practicality.<\/p>\n

\"Ocimax\"

After 20 years serving popcorn, Ren\u00e9e Garc\u00eda guides us through the changes in cinema, from the glorious days of \u2018Matrix\u2019 to Bridget Jones\u2013style pajama parties. Photo: Piter Castillo<\/p><\/div>\n

Golden age<\/h2>\n

In spite of everything, there are still moments that spark that collective thrill<\/strong>. Ren\u00e9e recalls the golden times<\/strong> of block-busting premieres.
\u201cWhen Matrix<\/em> premiered, lots of people came in costume and the place was packed non-stop. And with the Star Wars<\/em> films, groups of friends in costume also came to Ocimax. That really was magical.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mixed sweet-and-salty popcorn is a smash hit<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Although times have changed, she insists that the essence of cinema is still alive<\/strong>. \u201cI walked into an empty auditorium while they were testing the sound… and it gave me goosebumps. That doesn\u2019t happen at home. In the cinema you enter another reality. In the end, the essence of cinema lies in a roo<\/strong>m,\u201d she emphasises.<\/p>\n

From her post she has seen it all: youngsters sharing giant combos, couples splitting up between action films and rom-coms, customers requesting impossible snack mixes\u2026 Someone once asked for popcorn with ketchup,<\/strong> \u201cyes, honestly,\u201d she says, laughing. <\/span>\u201c<\/i><\/strong>Mixed sweet-and-salty popcorn is a smash hit.<\/strong> In the end, everyone has their quirks. Some people can\u2019t start the movie without popcorn, some mix everything, others can\u2019t stand even a crunch\u2026 But I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any logic between the type of film and the popcorn. It\u2019s simply a matter of taste<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/i> she explains.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t