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

[ofco8]

We did a house swap to US late '90s and the husband of the house over there left us his season tickets for the Orioles at Camden Yard, Baltimore.

Can't remember details of food and drink but do remember it was all great service. Probably the best season the Orioles had had in years. Great atmosphere.

However, I enjoyed the baseball for its experience and the Albion for a different experience. I don't compare to me they are two different forms of "entertainment".

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

The situations are not really comparable. You couldn't justify having that many concessions standing pretty much idle for two 45-minute periods, which is what would happen at a football match. At a 9-inning baseball game, there are 16 or 17 breaks between half-innings (depending on whether the home or road team wins), as well as the opportunity to wander around the concourses during play, when you can often see the field while standing in line. And even with new rules this season about speeding the game up, there's often quite a long time between pitches during play too.

But I do like being served in your seat, as happens at Wrigley and other parks, where you pass your money along the line to the vendor and the food and change comes back. I really can see that happening in the ESU while the Albion are on the attack....

 

[Hampster Gull]

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.

Agree wth this other than the seats at twickenham are absolutely sh*te, by that i mean no knee room and no room btw seats

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

If you like Yankee food, and I do, they really know how to do it, it's one of the things I love about the USA.
I wish we would provide the quality, service and value for money as they do.
Everything in this country stinks of keeping overheads low at the expense of the customer, which is the wrong way round, provide the quality at the right price and serve it quickly and you will sell much more of your product.

 

[Easy 10]

If you like Yankee food, and I do, they really know how to do it, it's one of the things I love about the USA.
I wish we would provide the quality, service and value for money as they do.
Everything in this country stinks of keeping overheads low at the expense of the customer, which is the wrong way round, provide the quality at the right price and serve it quickly and you will sell much more of your product.

Spot.
On.

In this country its all about providing the cheapest, lowest quality food, in the smallest possible portions, to make it just about worthwhile to tempt in enough desperate mugs to part with their cash to make it worthwhile. Captive audience = lets fleece them as far as we can push it.

Like everyone else, I knew the food and drink at the Amex was on the whole total garbage, at rip-off prices, with interminable queues just for the "privilege" of buying that crud. But seeing what they lay on for the fans in those USA ballparks has opened my eyes to the slop we get here.

My eyes have truly been opened. Buy food at the Amex ? I'd rather put out a campfire with my own FACE.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

We want the Amex to be the Amex not Frankie and Bennies

Totally agree mate; we don't go to football for family-friendly meals and coke floaters. What we need is craft beer and locally sourced hand ground gourmet burgers.

 

[Gwylan]

If you like Yankee food, and I do, they really know how to do it, it's one of the things I love about the USA.
I wish we would provide the quality, service and value for money as they do.

You wouldn't say that if you were vegetarian. Apart from NY and SF, it's one of the worst countries I've been to for finding veggie food. A country that size should really be doing a lot better.

And at least the Amex offers veggie pies, the only veggie option available at the Yankee stadium were crisps.

 

[Bozza]

just about[/i] worthwhile to tempt in enough desperate mugs to part with their cash to make it worthwhile. Captive audience = lets fleece them as far as we can push it.

What were the prices like in the ball park?

I'm willing to guess that they were higher, probably considerably so, than if you had sourced the same stuff somewhere outside the stadium (and not affiliated with the stadium in any way).

I'd also argue that the pies at the Amex are a fair way from 'garbage'.

 

[Bozza]

And at least the Amex offers veggie pies, the only veggie option available at the Yankee stadium were crisps.

Crisps are the vegetarian dish of the day in many football grounds still. It was certainly the case for me at Hillsborough. Portman Road did have a cheese & onion pasty on Tuesday night. They'd sold out pre-game but I managed to get one at half-time. It did the job.

 

[KingstonSeagull]

A friend of mine goes to watch the San Francisco 49ers at the Levi's Stadium, and you can now order food and beer to your seat! Someone will bring you your food! Absolutely ground breaking stuff... Although America is heading towards the people in Wall-E

 

[brighton_girl87]

You wouldn't say that if you were vegetarian. Apart from NY and SF, it's one of the worst countries I've been to for finding veggie food. A country that size should really be doing a lot better.

And at least the Amex offers veggie pies, the only veggie option available at the Yankee stadium were crisps.

Really? Coors Field had veggie hot dogs, burgers, nachos, pizzas, salads and burritos. It was the same throughout my entire trip - from small mountain towns to huge cities, I was amazed by the veggie options available. I've definitely struggled far more in other countries.

 

[Exile]

A friend of mine goes to watch the San Francisco 49ers at the Levi's Stadium, and you can now order food and beer to your seat! Someone will bring you your food! Absolutely ground breaking stuff...

Like at READING then?

 

[KingstonSeagull]

Like at READING then?

View attachment 78283

Yeah bollocks.. When I went to Reading they didn't take card and for a long time not even cash because they don't have a back up generator for when the power goes out... Try and order something at Reading and see if it turns up!

 

[Easy 10]

What were the prices like in the ball park?

I'm willing to guess that they were higher, probably considerably so, than if you had sourced the same stuff somewhere outside the stadium (and not affiliated with the stadium in any way).

I'd also argue that the pies at the Amex are a fair way from 'garbage'.

Most of the stuff was between about $8-$12, although anything involving steak was obviously more. So no, nothing there was what you could call cheap. But then when you saw the amount you were getting for your dollar, and the quality of it, I don't think you could ever argue you weren't getting good value. And you'd have to be quite a HEFFER to scoff your way through any more than a portion during the course of a game, even 3 hours worth. I had the hot buffalo wings, which came with celery and a blue cheese dip which was $9, and I struggled to get through them all (but they were bloody marvellous).

Pies at the Amex in my experience are fairly hit and miss, although I must admit I've not had one in months as I only get food there as a very last resort, generally an evening game if I've gone straight from work and not had a chance to get anything from elsewhere.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Food has been a MAJOR part of the match day experience for years in the US. I remember going to watch the Cubs more than 20 years ago and was astonished by the number of people walking through the stands offering nachos, burgers, popcorn, hot-dogs, beers and goodness knows what else. And that's without considering what was available in the concourses. Even back then as a youngster thinking it was amazing (not necessarily in a good way) how people could just sit there and effectively be waited on.

If the Amex ever did become like this – unlikely because a) I don't think the demand is there; b) there are too many restrictions such as not drinking in sight of the pitch; and c) the extra costs to provide THAT amount of food would be passed onto the fans – I think it would make for a horrendous match-day experience. As many have said, I don't go for the food – that's the difference between UK fans and those in the US. I eat it, don't get me wrong, and am quite happy with what I get, acknowledging that I'm not expecting gourmet dishes. Kids are happy not hungry, which is also a bonus.

I'm not having a go at the reporting of your experience, Easy, but I'm not sure you expect PB to do about it? The country has enough of an obesity problem as it is, without adding to it at football grounds all around the country...

 

[Thunder Bolt]

The noodles sold in the North stand are very nice. I'm not sure if they're vegetarian or not, but tasted delicious.

 

[Gwylan]

you'd have to be quite a HEFFER to scoff your way through any more than a portion during the course of a game,

?

 

[KingstonSeagull]

Most of the stuff was between about $8-$12, although anything involving steak was obviously more. So no, nothing there was what you could call cheap. But then when you saw the amount you were getting for your dollar, and the quality of it, I don't think you could ever argue you weren't getting good value. And you'd have to be quite a HEFFER to scoff your way through any more than a portion during the course of a game, even 3 hours worth. I had the hot buffalo wings, which came with celery and a blue cheese dip which was $9, and I struggled to get through them all (but they were bloody marvellous).

Pies at the Amex in my experience are fairly hit and miss, although I must admit I've not had one in months as I only get food there as a very last resort, generally an evening game if I've gone straight from work and not had a chance to get anything from elsewhere.

Never had a bad pie at the Amex, was in DICK's on Saturday and they ran out of SAUSAGE Rolls just as I ordered so had to have a hot dog which was a bit grim....

 

[Notters]

They don't really have a drinking culture like we do in the States either do they? They might have a beer or two rather than ten.

 

[KingstonSeagull]

They don't really have a drinking culture like we do in the States either do they? They might have a beer or two rather than ten.

Probably because they Yanks can handle their drink as well as Muslims....