In the show Drake & Josh, the movie theater where Josh works is called ‘The Premiere,’ and I honestly don’t understand how it operates. For one thing, it seems to have only a single auditorium. On top of that, there’s a mini restaurant inside, with actual tables and chairs where people can sit, order food, and eat—even without buying a movie ticket or watching a film. I’ve never been to a theater like that, especially not one with a built-in restaurant. The theaters I’m used to have multiple auditoriums, maybe a bar, and a standard snack counter—that’s it.
A movie theater is a location that would be familiar as a hangout destination for kids and teens, and therefore works as a third space for the writers to get the cast to interact outside of a school setting without the need to explain why Drake & Josh’s rival/crush/whatever are at their house or whatever. The restaurant/bar area is there to facilitate those interactions which wouldn’t really happen while watching a movie.