STADIUM FOOSERVICE COVER STORY
SOMETHING FOR THE KIDS
Operators are placing more emphasis
on pre- and post-game offers. In Australia, Otto Meile, national foodservice sales manager at Moffat, is seeing the variety of food on offer pre- and post-game increase. “Food vans are operating around the periphery of the venues to cater to the before and after game food and beverage requirements. Te menus are becoming larger and more varied, including kebabs, donuts, coffee, pastry vans and more.” Operators must also think about how
to generate revenue beyond event days to survive throughout the year. “We’re seeing new build and renovations of stadiums often incorporate full-service restaurants and cafes that are available to the public during normal restaurant and café trading hours, bringing stadiums alive outside game times,” Meile notes. With thousands of fans streaming
through every day, stadia are ideal venues to raise awareness of a brand before launching it further afield. Heim cites retired NBA star Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken brand, which started in arenas and is now launching standalone restaurants across the US. In a similar vein, some venues even have test kitchen concepts, which allow emerging brands to gain exposure among large crowds.
THE SPORTS CATERING EQUATION Making the catering a success comes down to three elements, according to Sedej: what you’re serving to how many people in what period of time. “Once you understand that equation, it needs to be married with your vision and the infrastructure and operational support you have to make it happen,” she says. “Tere’s no right answer; it really comes down to numbers and metrics.” Close coordination between the parties
involved in making the vision reality is key. “Te person who’s generating the menu needs to talk to the person procuring the equipment. Operators also need to understand how the flow of people, food and trash works at the venue and how that matches with their labor model. Do they have enough people to accomplish what they’re trying to do? Te design piece – the tools in the toolbox as I call it – are crucial but it’s the operators and staff that make the magic happen. It’s about asking the right questions and getting the right people to the table to answer those questions.” As event organizers brace themselves
to raise the curtain on an exciting summer of sport, we can only hope that those questions have already been asked and answered. Let the games begin.
While variety, selection and quality has improved hugely in adults’ catering at sports arenas and stadia, Danny Potter FCSI of Invito Design, says there’s a gap in the market for well thought through offers for children. “We’re not very good at kids’ food in any stadium and we should be,” he says, suggesting there’s revenue to be made. “If you take a child to an event it is the lowest spend per head ever.” So, how do you change that? “We need to make it fun; make it Instagrammable – can you do a slushie with ice cream on top? I have this fascination with chocolate and marshmallow pizza or a chocolate toastie. There’s good revenue and any kid would pester you to buy that,” he says.
Even drinks for kids leave a lot of room for improvement. “If an adult goes to an event we have wine by the glass, we have cocktails, we’ve got hot drinks. Kids have Coca Cola; it’s boring”
HOT OR NOT WITH THE FANS
IN IN CRAFT BEER CANS
OUT DRAFT BEER AND KEGS
ARTISAN BURGERS GRILLED ON THE SPOT
OUT SOGGY PATTIES SITTING AROUND FOR HOURS
Frictionless technology and self check-out markets, are gaining traction in sporting arenas
34 IN
FRICTIONLESS MARKETS
OUT WAITING IN LINE
ALAMY / CHRIS COOPER / MATTHEWSHAW / PATRICIA CHANG / ISTOCK
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