Catering in stadiums - Target Field USA vs the Amex. Are you reading this PB ?

[John Byrnes Mullet]

Great Trip Report Easy. Why do we have to suffer inferior customer service in the UK?

 

[Simster]

Problem is football attracts more than its fair share of twats, I don't really want to attend a match and get covered in beer just because a couple of twats decide it is funny to throw their beer in the air.

US supporting also isn't as passionate, certainly at baseball, with their organ chants and lets go team, football is getting better but its still not jump around when we score. That said I do enjoy going to a game if I get the chance, we went to a Yankees games in April as it was easier to get to compared to the Mets.

Away supporters are almost non existent so there is very little chance of the issues that drinking causes at games.

I'd have to say, a lot of that isn't actually true. Firstly, Americans are very passionate about their baseball teams. Secondly, huge away followings happen regularly in baseball.

This is Toronto at Seattle - Toronto invariably make Seattle seem like the road team, especially (as of now) they have something to play for.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=seattle+blue+jays&gws_rd=ssl#q=blue+jays+mariners&sh=5


And now that baseball plays inter-league (the National league and American league were separate beasts for decades until 1997, and they actually have different rules), you find that cross town rivals play every season with tons of away fans making the trip.

That's all very well but that entails sitting there an watching a baseball game...

Baseball is a fine game. Very international too. I think I prefer it to cricket (and I like that too).

 

[Bozza]

Chatting with so many american sports fans over there, both at the game and in the bars, they were universally GOBSMACKED that at a football match, we are not even allowed to have a beer in sight of the pitch over here. It just did not compute.

Of course they're gobsmacked. But show them stuff like this, and they'll soon understand...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ulESIRFKWs

Presumably you shared that we are GOBSMACKED that they let anyone buy and own guns, rifles and machine guns?

 

[GOM]

This is true. But it still STINKS that we are now in 2016, with a transformed football culture and a majority of modern, well policed stadiums - and yet we're still shackled to laws that came about 25-30 years ago.

Chatting with so many american sports fans over there, both at the game and in the bars, they were universally GOBSMACKED that at a football match, we are not even allowed to have a beer in sight of the pitch over here. It just did not compute.

Remember though, it only applies to football, not cricket, rugby or others. It is historical and unfortunately do no see it changing in the near future

 

[Fran Hagarty]

I go to a football match to watch a game of football.

Exactly.

 

[Fran Hagarty]

I'm with you on that. Most of us go to the match to see the football, most Americans seem to go to get fat.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[Peter Grummit]

I too went to Citifield and to Camden Yards (Baltimore) this summer. I agree the choice of food and drink was very good, but pricey. Beers were $9 or £10 which (thanks Brexiteers) translates to £7 or £8 a pint.

The comparison with cricket is a much more appropriate one. At a Hove T20 you have a choice of decent ale, lagers and ciders at £3.80-£4.50 a pint, to drink at your seat. The pizza in the cafe under the SW stand is excellent. The pavilion offers a couple of perfectly good hot dishes (eg decent curry and rice, popadom) at half the price I was paying for pulled pork or BBQ options at baseball games.

But then if you follow the Twins I guess you need some comestible compensation. #GoRangers

PG

 

[Bozza]

Having been a few MLB games, I agree with others on this thread that you're just not comparing like for like.

1. Between the start and end of a football match there is one very clearly defined time when people will seek to get food and drink, and that's half-time. In a baseball game, between the start and the end of the game, there are 17 times when the teams switch round, and provide an opportunity to nip to the concourse. Beyond that, given the length of the match and just the nature of baseball, people are considerably more likely to just go when the mood takes them, which won't be the same time as most others.

2. Stadium design can have an impact on how much variety can be provided. If there is essentially just a handful (or even one) sweeping concourse(s) available to most/all fans then it's possible to have different stalls with completely different offerings. The Amex doesn't have this - once you've entered the stadium you are restricted to 2 or 3 outlets - you can't wander round to the other 15 (at a guess). My recollection of the games I've been to is that I could wander a signifiant way around the concourse area, far away from my actual seat.

I guess the Albion/Sodexo could be more creative in how each outlet in any one concourse is used and provide some differentiation.

Live baseball, though, is excellent - sounds like you had a great time.

 

[Peter Grummit]

Problem is football attracts more than its fair share of twats, I don't really want to attend a match and get covered in beer just because a couple of twats decide it is funny to throw their beer in the air.

US supporting also isn't as passionate, certainly at baseball, with their organ chants and lets go team, football is getting better but its still not jump around when we score. That said I do enjoy going to a game if I get the chance, we went to a Yankees games in April as it was easier to get to compared to the Mets.

Away supporters are almost non existent so there is very little chance of the issues that drinking causes at games.

No passion in baseball? Absolute nonsense. http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6479266/v29318115/laatex-beltre-hits-mammoth-walkoff-homer-to-left
and plenty of away fans for certain teams. At Camden Yards (Baltimore) perhaps 15% of the 30k crowd were Rangers fans even though it is 1,400 miles away. What you don't need is segregation, everyone gets along fine.

PG

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Football " fans " have shown time and again they cannot be trusted to have a pint in their seat without all hell breaking lose, especially away fans who many consider it a badge of honour to be as much of an arse as they can, and cause as much trouble as possible. It is all clubs, we have our own fair share of Cavemen, sadly many in their 40s and 50s. I think they refer to themselves as " top boys " It is all most odd and unique to football. If we had a " pint in your seat " policy at the Amex, it would last, let me see ? 1 game ?

Football is a magnet for the hard of thinking, unfortunately, did you see the Millwall fans last time they came down here ? A quiet pint and friendly banter is not on the agenda or is upmarket catering options

The USA have many problems but rival fans having a tear up at every opportunity is not one of them

 

[Gazwag]

I'd have to say, a lot of that isn't actually true. Firstly, Americans are very passionate about their baseball teams. Secondly, huge away followings happen regularly in baseball.

.

Maybe I have just been to the wrong games, all the crowd participation seems to be PA led

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Football " fans " have shown time and again they cannot be trusted to have a pint in their seat without all hell breaking lose

It's an odd kind of person indeed who would be driven to furious levels of head-mentalness by being allowed to drink a pint of watery Fosters In View Of The Pitch for all of forty five minutes.

Such a person shouldn't really be allowed out in public IMHO. And probably isn't.

Meanwhile, it's apparently perfectly OK to potentially tip a cup of scalding Bovril down the neck of the person in front of you In View Of The Pitch.

Ridiculous beyond words.

 

[Easy 10]

The range of food is remarkable, though understandably easier to carry more stock if you've 3 or 4 home matches per WEEK.

Hard to comment on value as your menus carry no prices. £7 for some chicken scraps doesn't sound THAT amazing though.

I can assure you it was a lot more than "chicken scraps" - the portions over there are ridiculous, not just at sporting venues but pretty much everywhere you buy food. Me and the missus would regularly SHARE a breakfast, because the sheer amount you'd get on your plate was unmanageable (and I hate leaving loads of food uneaten). The food and beer certainly isn't the cheapest at Target Field, but then its a sporting venue so you always expect it to be a little more. And for the quality and volume you got, I felt it was very good value, certainly miles better than anything on offer at the Amex.

Craft beer?

Yep, loads. I couldn't even tell you how many. They had the usual Bud / Miller / Coors, but across the 7 pubs there was a large selection of craft and wheat ales. All on draft though from what I could see, so they were all chilled. I don't think americans do warm beer.

Just out of interest, how much did you pay for the tickets?

An unbelievable $6 each, on Stubhub
Thats primarily because its right at the fag-end of a trainwreck of a season, so they can't even give them away. The first evening I went we were sat up in the Gods (as you can see from the pics), but we could still move all around that upper deck to take in different views. I love that panoramic view of the field, I'm the same at football. Always prefer being high up.

The second time we went, I paid $6 each again for an afternoon game. It was actually a rescheduled game from the previous night, as it had got rained off. So as it was a reschedule, on a midweek afterernoon, there was only a couple of thousand there. They closed all the upper decks, and let us sit wherever we wanted in the lower deck, premium seats right down behind the dugouts and home plate (these can easily be $250-$300 seats). Gorgeous sunny afternoon, in the padded seats, almost close enough to touch the players. Brilliant !
Great experience.

 

[Ernest]

Cheeseburger at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas. I couldn't BELIEVE how BIG it was until I SAW the SIZE of the guy next to me's SAUSAGE in his ROLL. It made me turn QUEER with ENVY

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

I realise talking about the EGG CHASING upsets many here but I can't really read this without saying how fantastic the Twickenham experience is.

It starts from leaving the station. Sure the pubs are busy but they are MASSIVE and have the service nailed down. We never waited more than a minute for our pint. I say pint, they sold 2 pinters of guiness which were the logical choice.

Beers were being constantly poured by members of staff whilst the till operator took your money. Straight up fiver for a pint. Easy for everyone and I'm MORE than happy to pay a slightly higher rounded amount. Amazing how much it speeds it up. Also the atmosphere is fantastic but never any threat of something kicking off.

Then you get to wonderful Twickenham. Drinking outside the stadium, venture in, grab another drink with barely a wait and then sit in your set and enjoy your pint in an 80,000 seater stadium.

The whole experience is amazing and it staggers me how football stadiums and football pubs balls it up. Charge a round amount, pre-pour the pints continuously. Easy.

 

[Easy 10]

Having been a few MLB games, I agree with others on this thread that you're just not comparing like for like.

1. Between the start and end of a football match there is one very clearly defined time when people will seek to get food and drink, and that's half-time. In a baseball game, between the start and the end of the game, there are 17 times when the teams switch round, and provide an opportunity to nip to the concourse. Beyond that, given the length of the match and just the nature of baseball, people are considerably more likely to just go when the mood takes them, which won't be the same time as most others.

2. Stadium design can have an impact on how much variety can be provided. If there is essentially just a handful (or even one) sweeping concourse(s) available to most/all fans then it's possible to have different stalls with completely different offerings. The Amex doesn't have this - once you've entered the stadium you are restricted to 2 or 3 outlets - you can't wander round to the other 15 (at a guess). My recollection of the games I've been to is that I could wander a signifiant way around the concourse area, far away from my actual seat.

I guess the Albion/Sodexo could be more creative in how each outlet in any one concourse is used and provide some differentiation.

Live baseball, though, is excellent - sounds like you had a great time.

I've acknowledged throughout that I know I'm not exactly comparing like with like, as baseball is such a different kind of sporting occasion to football - primarily the fact that the game is 3 hours+, so you have more of a "timespread" to cater for fans there, rather than the congested rush we have at a football much at defined periods of the game. But your highlighted point is the one I am driving at. Not just the Albion / Sodexo, but surely football in general could look at the overpriced crud they serve up at games, and offer us better. We've become so used to it, its simply become the norm to pay the thick end of £5 for a pathetic, sorry looking microwaved hotdog in a foil bag, or a thin lukewarm burger in a cold bun.

I'd love to see the reaction of your average american getting served up with the muck we put up with at football.

 

[brighton_girl87]

I had a similar experience at Coors Field, in Denver, last year. The game was rain delayed by an hour, so we went for a stroll around the stadium and were amazed by the sheer number of food and drink outlets! They even had a Tuaca bar, which only sold Tuaca based cocktails and shots.

Tickets were dirt cheap, the locals were friendly and the service was fantastic (they kept offering to carry our drinks to our seats for us). The game is a bit of a blur though, due to the previously mentioned Tuaca bar!

 

[BigGully]

Some of the comments on here are madness, ultimately you get what you demand and not what you deserve, so no surprise how crap the match day experience can be at football.

How difficult should it be to sell to a captive market with a predetermined customer count, service should be prompt with great choice and quality, it is just typical British laziness from the food retailer and the customer.

 

[Diego Napier]

It's an odd kind of person indeed who would be driven to furious levels of head-mentalness by being allowed to drink a pint of watery Fosters In View Of The Pitch for all of forty five minutes.

Such a person shouldn't really be allowed out in public IMHO. And probably isn't.

I think you'll find that not only are they allowed out to blight the lives of others but they're also allowed to vote.

 

[Birdie Boy]

I have recently been to AT&T Park for giants v padres, everything was awesome except the price! Hot dog and beer $21, around £16 in the concourse! Although, I did go into the pub early, which was within the stadium and had huge nachos and beer and these were significantly cheaper than the concourse, I can't remember exactly how much. And before any says, you fat pig, I shared both with my wife.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk