Food for thought! And she notes that the park does sell unique items and
some that can’t be bought elsewhere. “Calaway Park sells a souvenir fountain pop cup that is
unique to our own park with our own design on it. Mini melts is also one of those unique items that you don’t find at your local grocery store. We also offer a ‘flash your pass’ promotion to our season pass holders which entitles them to 10 per cent off their purchase at select venues. “Guests want
value in everything!” says Silljer.
“Providing any sort of deal will entice guests (especially our season pass holders) to spend more on food and beverage than they normally do. We created a pizza deal promotion that guests can add on when purchasing their admission tickets on-line. Over the last few seasons, we’ve seen an increase in sales for this particular promotion. “I think food and beverage is an integral part of a
guest’s experience at the park. If a guest has to wait in a food line up or ends up with less than satisfactory service or product, they won’t be impressed. It takes away from enjoying their worry-free day. And some guests, once at the park, may purchase a unique and fun food item that they otherwise wouldn’t because they are immersed in a fun and unique atmosphere.” Back in the US, at Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari
in Indiana, Jason Martin, director of food and beverage, reveals that the venue has a couple of “flagship” locations which include indoor dining, one of which features a full- fledged Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings. It also has several lunch and snack locations as well as carts and kiosks. There are also eight Pepsi Oasis buildings where guests can help themselves to Free Unlimited Soft Drinks all day long. “One of the influencing factors that determines what
type of outlet we place where is the theming of the area in which it is built,” he says. “All of our outlets are named according to the holiday area of the park they are in. For example, Goblin Burgers is in the Halloween section and Santa’s Snacks is in the Christmas section. “Our pizza is very popular. It is so popular that we
have three restaurants on park dedicated to that menu item. Our guests are looking for good quality food but also love our reasonable prices. They want their dining experience to be quick so they can get back into the park and enjoy the attractions.” And he agrees healthy options are required. “Healthy options are indeed growing in popularity,” says
Martin. “With last year’s addition of the new Wildebeestro restaurant (named after the nearby Wildebeest water
www.InterPark.co.uk 47
coaster) we added several healthier menu options to the park, including fresh fruits, salads and freshly made wraps. These items and the location were both very popular.” And what options does he feel are unique to the park? “One of our most popular unique menu items is our
blue ice cream from the Udderly Blue Ice Cream stand. Another is the red, white and blueberry funnel cake at the Funnel Cake Factory. In Mrs. Klaus’ Kitchen, we created Mayflower Fudge and Thunderbird Fudge in honor of our 2014 and 2015 ride additions. We love providing unique food items that enhance the guest experience. We have the staples such as funnel cakes, hot dogs, cotton candy and popcorn but also have pork wings, fried Oreos, the ‘Hot Diggity Dog’ which is a bacon-wrapped, deep fried hot dog topped with cheese and barbecue sauce served on a pretzel bun, giant turkey legs, Thanksgiving dinner served all season, and more.” The
trends Martin notes simple for in the industry the guests include
streamlining menus and doing more with less. “Our guests are in a hurry. We live in a fast-paced society, so keeping things
is important.
Allergen-friendly menu items and healthier options are also gaining momentum as they have for the past several years.” And how does he feel the F&B offer impacts on the
overall enjoyment of a visit to a park? “I tell our rookies each year that every guest will enjoy
a free soft drink or a snack or a meal when they visit, even though not every guest will ride an attraction,” he says. “For this reason I think the F&B offer has a tremendous impact on the overall enjoyment of the park. From the cleanliness of the facilities and the friendliness of the staff to the quality of the product and the perceived value – it all comes into play when the guest thinks back about their visit to the park. We take that very seriously.”
Image Courtesy Whitings Foods
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