Email from Fan Relations about concessions...

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Goldentimeofday

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Got this today regarding the concession issues last week:

Hello,

Thank you for your comments regarding your experience at TCF Bank Stadium for the Gopher Football game on September 12.

We sincerely apologize for the long lines at the concessions stands and some of the changes that will be made beginning this Saturday will be:

- an addition of ten portable concession stands located in the plaza, concourse and

upper deck

- food vendors in the stands throughout the stadium

- more staff in all areas

We appreciate your patience and your support of Golden Gopher Athletics.

Barb Chandler
Gopher Fan Relations
University of Minnesota Athletics
 


My concern is if all the problems get fixed we won't have anything to complain about.:D:clap::clap:
 


That is really good to hear, but when will they install cash registers? Just doing that would speed the concession lines up big time.
 


Gopher4life15 said:
That is really good to hear, but when will they install cash registers? Just doing that would speed the concession lines up big time.
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They used the same card/calculator system at Syracuse and believe it or not things were pretty smooth.

It might just take some experience....
 

Gopher4life15 said:
That is really good to hear, but when will they install cash registers? Just doing that would speed the concession lines up big time.
Click to expand...

I don't know, this is what I asked and they decided to not respond to that question:

Just wanted you to add me to the list of frustrated people regarding the concession issue at TCF. They can't do this with calculators, it makes no sense from a profit standpoint, from a customer service standpoint, from an accounting standpoint, or from a loss prevention standpoint. The other issues I can deal with, but they MUST have cash registers.

Thanks,
 

Goldentimeofday said:
I don't know, this is what I asked and they decided to not respond to that question:

Just wanted you to add me to the list of frustrated people regarding the concession issue at TCF. They can't do this with calculators, it makes no sense from a profit standpoint, from a customer service standpoint, from an accounting standpoint, or from a loss prevention standpoint. The other issues I can deal with, but they MUST have cash registers.

Thanks,
Click to expand...

Don't expect cash registers anytime soon. I was talking to a person today who knows a little bit about POS systems and he believes it would be to costly to install for just 7 dates a year.
 

glovedgopher said:
Don't expect cash registers anytime soon. I was talking to a person today who knows a little bit about POS systems and he believes it would be to costly to install for just 7 dates a year.
Click to expand...

My wife braved the concession lines on my behalf for the entire second quarter to get me a soda (I had made two attempts previously). The concession worker told her that it would cost $50K to get cash registers. $50K seems awfully light (that can't be right, but that's what she was told), but if that's all it takes, have everybody drop a dollar in a bucket this Saturday - I'd pay an extra $1 for better service.
 



I'm thinking things will improve once the workers have all the prices memorized and can do the math on the fly. After last week, they should know what a large pop and a hot dog cost.
 

Have the menu with prices laminated and taped to the counter so they don't have to turn around. Problem solved.
 

It sounds like I'm definitely in the minority here but I don't think the lack of cash registers was the cause of the problem.

IMHO they need to add more concession stands (or lines), add runners to grab the food and drinks while someone takes your money, and the workers just need to hustle up and move people through with a sense of urgency.
 

They don't have registers at Mariucci & extremely long lines are usually not a problem there.
 



THere were using Calculators...

They should have order takers and runners, meaning one guy/gal stays at the register and only fills soda orders or whatever else is directly placed around them. They should call out to the runner to get the pizza, subs, peanuts, pretzels, etc. so that there is no wasted effort. The Dome does things in this manner for the most part.

Honestly, I just wonder how much money the U lost because of poor math and fat fingering... I knew of two people that got things for less then they were supposed to.
 

I also think they need to get creative and have more stands throughout the main concourse in addition to the plaza and upper decks.

They could easily have specialty stands underneath some of the stairwells that lead to the upper deck. (popcorn & soda, smoothies, hot chocolate/coffee, etc.) They should look no further than Williams arena which I think has done a great job fitting concessions in a tight concourse.
 

Goldentimeofday said:
I don't know, this is what I asked and they decided to not respond to that question:

Just wanted you to add me to the list of frustrated people regarding the concession issue at TCF. They can't do this with calculators, it makes no sense from a profit standpoint, from a customer service standpoint, from an accounting standpoint, or from a loss prevention standpoint. The other issues I can deal with, but they MUST have cash registers.

Thanks,
Click to expand...

I believe that the way these and most stands work is that the inventory (including cups etc.) is counted at the beginning, any additional inventory is added to the count, spoilage reduces the count and then a count is done at the end. The difference then is tallied and that is how much the whole stand has sold. The money then needs to meet the total.

I agree with you that it would be very difficult to determine if an individual is pilfering, but I assume that if the count is way off, people from that stand will be scutinized during the next event.

I believe that we need to give them time to work out the kinks.
 

Email today states:

2. Concessions: Fans have provided valuable feedback about their experience at our concession stands. Comments have included long lines, food shortage, and menu items. Aramark will:


Add portables on the 400 level (top of the upper bowl) that includes beverages, hot dogs and other snacks.
Add another portable on the west plaza that will serve beverages, hot dogs and other snacks.
Employ more than double the number of "hawkers" (19 last week - 50 this week) to walk the stadium bowl. Hawkers will sell beverages, hot dogs, ice cream, popcorn and peanuts.
Add portables on the main concourse and stage lines parallel to these stands vs. perpendicular.
Ensure adequate food storage to supply concession stands.


Hey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I suggested the portable concessions on the upper concourse Waaaaaaaaaaaay back at the Aug 22 scrimmage. It seemed like a no-brainer to me then and it is nice to see they are using common sense.

I also noticed the main concourse portable concession lines stretched one way and the main concession lines when the other way, creating human fences at certain locations. It is nice to see they figured out the portable concession lines should not run perpandicular.

All in all it looks like they are jumping all over the problems that surfaced last week.
 

What I don't understand is the company (Aramark?), that received the contract should know within reason how much food, drink and staff is required to serve 50,000 people on a Saturday night. From all accounts, they weren't even close. I'm wondering why they weren't prepared, and did the U select the right concessions company?
 

WAGopher said:
What I don't understand is the company (Aramark?), that received the contract should know within reason how much food, drink and staff is required to serve 50,000 people on a Saturday night. From all accounts, they weren't even close. I'm wondering why they weren't prepared, and did the U select the right concessions company?
Click to expand...

A number of the TV stories mentioned how Aramark was stretched extra thin because of running concessions for the Twins, Gophers, and the Obama rally at the Target Center. Not saying that's a reasonable excuse as only the Obama event was shorter notice (How much concession work happens for a political rally btw?) but that's what the news reports had.

I get the feeling the U was pretty PO'd about the F-ups (especially not having enough food) but Aramark isn't just the vendor for TCF...they are the primary vendor for all U food service (Williams, Marriucci, Coffman, everywhere) and they paid a LOT of money to get that contract.
 

Thank you for the extra info. Hopefully, they can recover fast and this will only have been an opening day snafu.
 

If they are stretched too thin to do the job, that's what they have temp agencies for.
 

RodentRampage said:
If they are stretched too thin to do the job, that's what they have temp agencies for.
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Agreed...what I took from the stories was Aramark thought they could get away without making the needed extra investment in personnel (see: 19 vendors for 94 sections, no satellite stands, etc) and failed miserably.
 

The problems with the concessions were many.

But no registers isn't really that big of a deal. They can't pocket the cash, cause your responsible for the inventory. If anything is missing the group they are raising money for, pays for it.

IMO the problem was not enough places to buy stuff. And the stands were poorly laid out to begin with.

one thing i saw...
They deep fry 6 different items in the gopher grill stands, have a nice 6 or 8 basket deep fryer, with NO timers on them. And one place to dump all 6 items the food when it's done. So dump all 6 things in there and pick them out when you get an order :D
Look back there once when your in line, it's pretty funny.

Also...
But they all have nice sub sandwich prep tables, Oh wait they don't even sell subs :confused:

Obviously in my past llife I spent too much time working in resturants,
be interesting to see what they are able to fix in one week.
 

I'm just very happy/impressed they responded so quickly in trying to address the concerns that came up, and that their efforts went out publicly to season ticket holders, and I'm assuming students as well. The fact that the U addressed:
1. The long lines to get in
2. The long waits at concessions
3. The mess for post game bus service
to me says a lot about how they want to make this a top rate facility with no bugs. To open up a brand new stadium with brand new personnel with brand new jobs, then take feedback on the bugs, then make adjustment all by the next weekends game I think is pretty good. I give the U a big thumbs up on this one.
 

MHDGopherfan said:
I'm just very happy/impressed they responded so quickly in trying to address the concerns that came up, and that their efforts went out publicly to season ticket holders, and I'm assuming students as well. The fact that the U addressed:
1. The long lines to get in
2. The long waits at concessions
3. The mess for post game bus service
to me says a lot about how they want to make this a top rate facility with no bugs. To open up a brand new stadium with brand new personnel with brand new jobs, then take feedback on the bugs, then make adjustment all by the next weekends game I think is pretty good. I give the U a big thumbs up on this one.
Click to expand...

Agreed.
 


+2

It has to be a little better just by doing those things. That, and many people won't plan on eating at the game after last week, so there will be a drop in demand.
 

I agree with all this agreement

+3
 



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