Concessions

Pony in SA · Post by **Pony in SA** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 10:23 pm

Just returned from the airport after spending money to fly up and witness the mess Saturday with my son. Totally agree on the concession fiasco.

I sit in 105. At start of 3rd Qtr. went to get popcorn, sodas, etc. Went to 3 stands and all without popcorn, 2 stands without Diet Coke working, and other one the water I bought was warm. This was just after halftime so they should not have been shutting down.

I've been a season ticket holder 17 years, spend money to travel with family for the games, and can say this is the worst consessions we have had. I think we had one year at Ford someone selling BBQ or Subway sandwiches, and we don't even have that. At least at Cotton Bowl you could go outside at half and get a beer or drink and then come back into the stadium.

I really think this needs to be addressed, and I don't think it would take much money to do so if someone just had a decent plan and worked the plan. Our high school football concessions down here are much better.

Ponymon · Post by **Ponymon** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 10:28 pm

Bring back the BEER! Would make these games MUCH more exciting! BTW I notice that someone likes Jack Daniels in the bottle because it is ALWAYS by the toilet at every game!

Insane_Pony_Posse · Post by **Insane_Pony_Posse** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 10:29 pm

yeah i waited in line and then was told "we're out of
cheese for the nachos would you like just the chips
and maybe a squirt of hot dog chili?"

do these people have no clue?

concessions have changed
concessions have gone high tech

go to a Stars, Mavs, or Cowboy game and
you'll see all kinds of great choices

why can TCU do it and we can't?

LakeHighlandsPony · Post by **LakeHighlandsPony** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 11:27 pm

What happened to the TV's that were above concession areas for waiting customers to watch the game? Looks like about half have been stolen and others are not working. That was very nice at the opening game versus Kansas. That stadium is too new to be looking torn up.

Pony Soup · Post by **Pony Soup** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:41 am

Insane_Pony_Posse wrote:concessions deserve an "F" for the Tulane game

Phil Bennett deserves an F for the tulane game. And the only reason to go to the concession stand is to get a mixer for that whiskey to help us drown our sorrows....

EmeraldCityPony · Post by **EmeraldCityPony** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:18 am

Someone needs to forward a link to this thread to whomever is in charge.

Peruna2001 · Post by **Peruna2001** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:28 am

Personally, I try to avoid the SMU concession stands these days. I don't see much point in paying for the terrible food that is there along with dealing with the terrible experience most seem to have.
I had a Tulane friend there to watch the game with me. She went to get a pizza and soda, came back about 30 minutes later, and exclaimed, "That was an experience!"
Several of my friends couldn't get anything from the concession stands because they were out of credit card paper.
If they are going to have half of the concession stands shut down and the rest lacking in supplies (sodas, cheese, credit card paper, etc.), why not just shut down ALL of the concession stands? Just let us bring in our own sodas and food or let us go back out to the tailgates. That way I can stop sneaking it in and everybody else will be happy.

EastStang · Post by **EastStang** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:33 am

That's one of the little things they have to improve on. Not everyone tailgates. And even those that do, might want to buy a soda at the game to fight the oncoming hangover. The stadium has plenty of concession nooks, it needs to make sure they're all open on game days and properly stocked.

Pony in SA · Post by **Pony in SA** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:43 am

Just FYI, I have mentioned these problems before to the "powers to be" and the comments I think have fallen on deaf ears. I think it may have to do with the food and concessions in boxes and club level are fine, so there is no perceived other problems.

If you want to attract more people to games, put a quality team on the field who can at least compete, then make tickets more available to the masses (cheap tickets to end zones, etc. for various groups), and when people get there make the experience a good one which includes concessions at least on par with the local high school venues, little league, parks, etc. If you get more people there you actually can make more money.

You don't have to sell every type of food, but focus on a few things and have them available and make them quality. Just do drinks, popcorn, and hotdogs, if that all you can do but have them available at all stands and have the drinks working and the water bottles cold, plenty of popcorn (and popcorn is cheap), and hotdogs which are at least warm with plenty of ketchup, mustard, etc.

Again, this should not be a big budget item for the department so it could be resolved easily. It is the attention to details like this that the General referenced in another post that really needs to be fixed. Hard to believe my son's Boy Scout troop can get something like this organized, or our little league can, but we can't.

LakeHighlandsPony · Post by **LakeHighlandsPony** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:35 am

Pony in SA wrote:Just FYI, I have mentioned these problems before to the "powers to be" and the comments I think have fallen on deaf ears. I think it may have to do with the food and concessions in boxes and club level are fine, so there is no perceived other problems.

If you want to attract more people to games, put a quality team on the field who can at least compete, then make tickets more available to the masses (cheap tickets to end zones, etc. for various groups), and when people get there make the experience a good one which includes concessions at least on par with the local high school venues, little league, parks, etc. If you get more people there you actually can make more money.

You don't have to sell every type of food, but focus on a few things and have them available and make them quality. Just do drinks, popcorn, and hotdogs, if that all you can do but have them available at all stands and have the drinks working and the water bottles cold, plenty of popcorn (and popcorn is cheap), and hotdogs which are at least warm with plenty of ketchup, mustard, etc.

Again, this should not be a big budget item for the department so it could be resolved easily. It is the attention to details like this that the General referenced in another post that really needs to be fixed. Hard to believe my son's Boy Scout troop can get something like this organized, or our little league can, but we can't.

Mention the powers that be by name on here so we can flood them with calls.

docabel · Post by **docabel** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:13 am

perunapower wrote:Because there is NO ONE on the east side.

That's because all they had to offer on the East side was cold popcorn and drinks.

Insane_Pony_Posse · Post by **Insane_Pony_Posse** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:48 pm

i suppose the problem relates to SMU using
volunteer concession workers that try to raise
money for their cause. If they opened all the
concession stands the different groups wouldn't
make any money and would refuse to do it again.

So SMU is faced with having to pay people to
work in more concessions that would be open
or cut down the amount of concessions that are
open when small crowds are expected so SMU
can get free concession help and so the free
concession help can make their charity cause money.

To someone's credit they did listen and they now
have people hawking drinks/ect up in the stands
which is a nice option. but they need to do something
about the amateurism they get by using charity volunteers
or at least train these people. And somehow get more stands open.
Tulane was by far the worst concessions this season.

MustangStealth · Post by **MustangStealth** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:53 pm

It's not the workers that are the issue. It's the management company that is not providing sufficient supplies.

cguru · Post by **cguru** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:25 pm

Didn't SMU just switch to a new concessions company? I don't think Aramark was there last year? Maybe we should be calling them and letting them know what a poor job they are doing?

MrMustang1965 · Post by **MrMustang1965** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 3:05 pm

Here's a solution: quit hiring North Texas grads to work in the concession stands.