For my son’s seventh birthday, everything was awesome because we paired the winning combination of pizza and a movie while avoiding all clean-up. We pre-bought movie tickets and warned the restaurant we were coming. Easy peasy.
The main coordination for this type of party is juggling showtimes and pizza restaurants for optimal mood, hunger, price, movie seats, and transit time. (Can you tell I am an Industrial Engineer by training? Nerd alert!) Once those decisions have been made, just show up and relax!
![Kid grabbing a slice of Gioia pizza](https://d12xor56xjll8j.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/06134345/gioia-pizza-slice.jpg)
Preparations for a stress-free pizza & movie birthday party for a kid
I like an early movie showtime party. We started the party with cheese pizzas before the children were even hungry (figuring that was better than feeding some hungry beasts later!). In the days before the party, I recommend you:
- Purchase movie tickets online using Fandango.com or similar. You can often save on fees by buying directly through the theater’s app or website.
- Make reservations for the restaurant tables, if possible. Aim for off-hours for smaller restaurant crowds and less overall pizza costs. Though we had the place to ourselves, I would recommend trying to pre-order to avoid overwhelming the restaurant staff.
- Bake or buy birthday dessert. I am not a baking mom, and I like these East Bay cake bakeries.
![12 assorted cupcakes](https://d12xor56xjll8j.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/06134429/cupcakin-IMG_84.jpg)
Ideal East Bay spots for movie pizza birthday parties
Here are some locations with movie theaters near great pizza places for feeding all those hungry party-goers:
Elmwood/Rockridge Movie & Pizza Party Spots
College Ave has a slew of different pizza places, from Nabolom Bakery and Pizzeria to Zachary’s Chicago Pizza to In the Wood Pub— all located close to Rialto Cinemas Elmwood.
Pro tip: Buy a large serving of popcorn — usually free refills — and divvy it up among the guests with small individual popcorn boxes.
Oakland Pizza and Movie by Lake Merritt
Sitdown pizza places near the Grand Lake Theatre, include The Star on Grand and Zachary’s Chicago Pizza. Arizmendi Bakery and Leaning Tower of Pizza have great takeout if you want to call ahead and eat at Splash Pad Park (across the street from the theater where the Saturday Grand Lake Farmer’s Market is held).
Emeryville Pizza and Movie at Bay Street
Head over to Bay Street for Arthur Mac’s Tap & Snack and the giant screens at AMC Bay Street. If you’re up for two locations, Rotten City Pizza is a great option, too.
El Cerrito Pizza Party
It’s almost like El Cerrito’s Rialto Cinemas is specifically designed for a pizza & a movie party, with this loved-by-locals movie theater serving pizza, appetizers, drinks, & more directly in the movie theater! A super fun experience for kiddos. If greasy fingers in a dark movie theater aren’t your thing, there is also Papi’s Pizza Roma up the street a bit.
Alameda Movie & Pizza Places
Alameda Theatre & Cineplex is conveniently located near both Tomatina and Marley G’s Pizzeria— two local favorites– as well as a Cinema Grill with all sorts of yummy bites for party-goers.
Walnut Creek Movie & Pizza Combo
Cinemark Century Walnut Creek 14 shows all the big blockbusters and Slice House is excellent by-the-slice or box pizza just around the corner. Skipolini’s, a great spot for kids, is about a 10-minute walk away.
Visit the {510} Families Birthday Party Guide for a helpful list of venues, entertainers, and sweets providers for all your party needs.
![the pizza fruit and breadsticks at the former lanesplitters](https://d12xor56xjll8j.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/06165809/pizza-berkeley.jpeg)
Where would you go to celebrate a birthday with pizza and a movie? Let us know in the comments!
The Bottom Line on a movie pizza party for kids
I’m a huge fan. This party works perfectly for any movie your child is dying to see that comes out right around their birthday! And pizza is a great party food to feed a bunch of kids.
Thank you to Natalie Nicholson for the updates!