Plese participate in this poll. Steve L. and I have a meeting with HDC next week and this is one of the topics to be discussed. I am looking for ammo for the meeting. Do you purchase food before or after the game at an outside location due to poor food quality at HDC?
yes i do. poor food coupled with bad prices. i probably wouldn't mind buying a hot dog & coke at $3 (which is still grossly overpriced) but not the $6.50 it was last time i bought something at the HDC (2004/2005?)
My answer is not one of the choices. I think the food is poor quality, and over priced... But I still eat it. I wish it would be better, the cost isn't as much of a problem. I expect to over pay for food at sporting events, but if the quality doesn't improve I may consider other options. For now I continue to eat the food, becuase it is edible its easier than going somewhere else or bringing my own food. Hopefully this isn't what the FO is trying to do: have food just edible enough that people will still buy it, and just the right price that people will grudgingly buy it.
I chose the last option but my answer is more like "I would buy a hell of a lot more if the food was better, if the prices were better and most importantly if the service was better." If you don't address the service issue all other points are moot. Now instead of just bitch and complain I am going to offer you a real solution. I have worked in the sports facility business for nearly a decade. My F&B guys (a company we work with) are the best in the business. They run all the F&B facilities for dozens of golf courses, water parks and sports parks around the country. They are the featured speakers on how to run a tasty, profitable concession operation at the annual PGA show in Orlando every year. They were hired by the biggest developers in Dubai (yes, the guys with the indoor ski slope) to design their concessions and create the operating plan. If you could get them a meeting with the FO we could actually do something about the concessions instead of just piss in the wind, I mean talk about it. I'd love to help, but I need to see that there is an opportunity to actually meet with decision makers on this on. Otherwise I'll continue to spend as much on BWHD and a Big Gulp across the street as I do in the HDC. If you guys are for real, PM me.
At the risk of beating a dead horse, in addition to the quality and service issues, SOMEBODY needs to think beyond standard stadium fare. How many pastrami sandwiches could a Langer's stand sell per game? King Taco? Garlic Fries from Gordon Biersche? Sushi from any one of half a dozen quality providers? Thai? Sure, that's harder than handing the whole job over to one provider and getting lowest common denominator food, but it would so augment the experience that I have to think it would pay for itself. That would SOLVE the quality problem, first. Not sure about the AEG commitment to hire from the neighborhood and whether the service issue isn't a tougher nut to crack.
The food is expensive but I expect stadium food to be expensive. It's the quality and service that's abysmal. For example, I commonly get nachos with stale chips and one time they gave me nachos with grated cheese instead of melted cheese, why I don't know. There's really nothing I want to eat at the HDC but I end up getting something anyway. The only thing I've been excited about is when I used to get a hot chocolate at the coffee bean place. Bottom line is if the food was halfway decent I'd have dinner at the game instead of just a snack.
I voted for the last one. I dont mind paying money if the food is good. Then again, in this economical climate, I no longer buy food at movie theaters anymore either. Not only is it bad for you ('cept the jujubee's which have high vitamin C and a days worth of calcium). But I always make pizza an exception. Even a good burger and fries. I really dont know how you'll get around the slow workers (and the myriad of other names I could call them). They are what they are and you find the same type all over the country serving food at games. Although, I went to the circus once at Staples center and the food was HOT, fresh and people really knew what they were doing there. So I take that back. I also take reservation with the beer prices too. An $8 good sized beer is within reason. I wouldnt have more than two whether they were $8 or $12 each. $12 is steep, especially since the Heineken's seem watered down to me. The HDC is serving regular Joes and Janes, not the Beckham's of the world. First it was saying goodbye to the ST's for me to save money, then it was buying less food, then going to less games (but I hate that part), then it was buying no food at HDC. Id rather get my meal at Carls Jr a couple blocks away... big ol Coke (served by a big ol Hawaiian) and decent sized burger and fries for a decent price. No really. If someone is married with a couple kids food adds up fast. HDC is banking on the kids saying they want this or they want that. But money is money. My goal for this season is to go to more games, but eat no food at HDC. If you put a Dominhoes, or Carls, or Pizza Butt, In-N-Out (no spin on that needed) then I know I'd be suckered in to buying all food at HDC. But I have enough will power to go elsewhere since the food is soo soo bad. Good food within the HDC, decent priced beer, and good concession workers would be my main focus. *I was joking about the jujubee's
Is King Taco still a sponsor? I know they had big banners at RB. GB Garlic Fries... Ohhh man. And their Marzen beer is excellent... OK, I might spend $12 for one of their beers. Sheez. What are you doing to me... its only 3pm. If everyone who left the stadium raved about the food, I guarantee more people would come back more often. With LA being such a competitive sports market already, HDC needs to up their quality of food and service. If people DONT COMPLAIN they will have a good experience. Thats what it should be about. The game on the pitch, not the crap food or the crap service.
That's my answer too. I would suggest that the entire front office staff, especially the upper management, get in line during half time and buy some food. Do this not just for one game but for one entire season. While you're at it please ask Wayne, Tom, Katie, Victoria, Drew & others to join you. At the end of the season decide if you want to change anything!!!
The coffee bean was the best thing in the place. And the store and the little kiosks were always packed. So give the fans some quality, and you get plenty of business. Last season when they got rid of the coffee bean it was a clear sign to me that the direction management was heading with concessions was the wrong one.
It's the lines that are bad, and the slow/incompetent/poorly organized/undersized staff. We'd all pay plenty for mediocre food if we could just get it in time to not miss major portions of the game. The food quality definitely could go up, but the lines are horrible, they run out of food, and you miss major portions of the game to get anything. Fix that, and worry about the quality later. (Although that said, if you had some options for good food, you'd sell a ton more.)
It seems that the food is even worse than last year, if that is even possible! Limited selection, ALWAYS cold, over-priced, poor quality and taste. The worst stadium food I've experienced...and I've been in a LOT of stadiums. I agree with what people are saying about the price. I EXPECT to pay higher prices at a sporting event, but when the quality and choices are crap, it makes the high price stand out and the feeling of being ripped-off prevails! Also, since there are no "period or quarter breaks" like in other sports except for a 15 minute halftime, your service MUST improve to allow people to go get food and drink in that short time span without missing too much of the game! Plus, how can you run out of HOT DOGS at HALF TIME? Pick food that is easy to eat out of your lap!! I guess that Meatball sandwich didn't last too long! HaHa! Poor quality coupled with poor service made me select the "I HATE HDC Concessions" ....oh, sorry...that wasn't a choice, but that is what I would have picked. Steves, I would be interested to hear if any of the people you are meeting with have actually ate any of the food and tried to order during half-time. They need to do a "mystery shopping" event and pose as a fan and experience what all of us do!
I think BS is using some of those mercury painted, Chinese made calculators or somethin'... I dont know about this.... those percentages add up to 133.34%
Because the poll allows you to check as many of the statements as are true. I checked both the third and fourth items - both are "true" statements.
Its called poor management. Sorta like putting all your chips into 2 or 3 players and if one gets injured (like last year) you cant do jack sh*t about it. Its poor management from the top to the bottom at HDC.
I chose the 1st one, but I want to change my answer to #4 or like what Soccer Obsession said. I buy food and/or drink there at almost every game. The quality is not horrible at all times, but it is horribly inconsistent. One week I bought fries & they were great. The next week, I bought 2, and they were cold. It will be awhile before I get them again. I had Nachos Camachos a couple weeks ago & it was terrific. How about a designated place to deal with food problems in each area? For example, I should have been able to bring my fries back to get hot ones, and I would have been a happier customer & ready to buy again next time. The prices will be high in general, but there should be some reasonably priced options, too, for the families. I got a great coffee drink 2 weeks ago, but usually the line is way too long at that store & I don't want to wait. I was at the game early to get my hat, though, and the concessions were accessible. And keep working on the line logistics. It's imperative to get people through the lines as fast as possible with as little frustration as possible.
It is number one on my list. I have not forgotten. So easy to fix, just do the Bank Teller, Disney serpentine line thing... Steve L.
I was going to say this too. There's a concept in business called "eating your own dog food". The staff should regularly stand in line and eat the concession food, otherwise they'll never believe what we're talking about. Also, they should look at what you get at the other sporting facilities around town and other MLS stadiums.
Re: Quality of service Indianapolis Motor Speedyway allows outside groups to man their concession booths. While they serve standard fare, and the money paid for the product goes to IMS, the wages of the workers are given to the organization they represent as a charitable donation.
Also, if more people made an effort to utilize the available options in the immediate area they might also come to realize that HDC isn't all that bad. Let's be honest, while I have eaten there many a time from purely economic considerations, the KFC on Avalon is an absolute horror show and exhibits all of the problems found in the HDC (except it's cheap). Now, the soul food place in the same shopping center as KFC is actually quite good. Of course, not everyone likes soul food. I've heard the bar over there is sketchy as hell. I've never gone, being the driver on most occasions, so I can't say for sure.
Make A Cake I really appreciate the enthusiasm of the Thread starter, but let me burst your bubble before you get to giddy with hope. This is a go-nowhere thread. Quick Story: I recently attended a Dodger game who oddly enough employs the Levy Restaurant/Concession Group Inc. to provide food services to their stadium, who by the way run the HDC concessions. There is something in the business world called veiled colusion. in which one company contracts another because of an inability to provide a service or product required by a larger trust. Now with complete fore-thought of profit The Home Depot Center and AEG knows it doesn't have the ability to run or manage concessions for its facility but absolutely knows it wants maximum profits from that service it will provide on its grounds. Enter Levy Restaurants. Marginal concession food pre cooked, pre assembled, which maximises profit from hiring low level wage - part time employees to dish out high cost food to its consumers. Enter colusive agreement with HDC/AEG on profit sharing and concession rights fees to provide a modest kick back to the HDC/AEG every game... every year for the lenght of the contract. To finish that story... I went with my friends who each purchased and consumed (4) 20 oz. Michelob Amber bach beers @ $12.50/ea. and each purchased (3) dodger dogs @ $5.00/ea. That is a grand total of = $130 dollars spent @ levy concessions. I personally spent $42 dollars on the night. and our other person who happens to be a non-drinker spent $36. a group grand total of = $208 and (4) tickets which cost $220. That is alot cash, and if you look at it.... you wouldn't spend $208 on a great dining experience. or maybe you would, but you would expect more than alright beer and soggy dodger dogs on your plate when that dinner came to your table.
YES mbar, that really upset my wife and I. Soccer is the intelligent person's sport and we fans deserve "intelligent" foods/drinks with upscale coffee (PEETS, Diedrichs, et al) as well as better snacks, not hot dogs and fake-cheese-chips. Throw in a pinkberry yogurt, too. Geez, the box level at Staples has carved turkey, shellfish, martinis, prime rib and more all being served by wanna-be chefs and it costs the same as the HDC crap. Good food and snacks go a long way and make the game more enjoyable. Nothing sucks more than being hungry and being forced to hand over $5.75 for a small steamed hot dog and then having to put mustard on it while some bozo is blowing his nose or coughing all over the concession stand.... The HDC loses our money to Panera, Peets Coffee, Red Mango, and other places on our way to the stadium (if we don't eat at home first).