Early Beer Reviews UPDATED (9/11): TCF serves 15K servings; $110K in total sales

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randomjoe

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Word on the street was lines were way too long, people got in line at the start of the second quarter and couldn't get through the line by halftime and were cut off.

Just put them at every concession booth
 

I expect the strib to focus on the long beer lines over the gopher win and stronger than expected fan turnout.
 

It will be interesting to read what the strib has to complain about ... For those that were there, how many taps did they have and were they staffed adequately?
 

Seriously, did anybody really think there would be short lines?
 

I saw a lot of people enjoying a beer. No incidents. Only draw back to me was the lost plaza space. It was a pain to walk through there with the lines.
 


4four4 said:
Seriously, did anybody really think there would be short lines?
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Just wondering how efficient it was or wasn't .... The 11am start has to hurt beer sales. If the game was starting at 2:30 I'd guess they would have been swamped with only two areas available. If the weather is warm for the Syracuse game (starting at 7PM) they are likely to face a much greater demand...hope they are ready for that.
 

randomjoe said:
Word on the street was lines were way too long, people got in line at the start of the second quarter and couldn't get through the line by halftime and were cut off.

Just put them at every concession booth
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I purchased a Summit EPA ten minutes before the start of the game. My wait was no more than 5 minutes. The lines were organized and moved quickly. The biggest delay was waiting for the server to figure out the cash register. I brought the beer back to my seat after watching the tail end of the band concert and made everyone around me envious.
 

Second deck M side... I saw amazingly quite a few return with glasses of beer.

I thought I heard Norwood say that there wouldn't be much revenue from the sale of beer/wine, because they had to hire a company. Anybody know more about this?
 

Don't know about the other company. I wish that during the interview with AD Norwood, Mason (or the pbp dude) would have asked him about the decision to sell beer and wine. The interview just turned into a kiss ass segment IMO.
 



TCF is the Big Ten stadium where it is easiest to buy a beer. The end.
 

Uh.. really? A buddy of mine left for the beer stands with 3:00 left in the 2nd quarter from the student section, was able to get in and buy 3 beers (with his girlfriend) and make it back by the end of halftime. I don't doubt that lines were long, but it sounds like anyone who wanted beer could get it.
 

Flatfoot said:
Second deck M side... I saw amazingly quite a few return with glasses of beer.

I thought I heard Norwood say that there wouldn't be much revenue from the sale of beer/wine, because they had to hire a company. Anybody know more about this?
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Yes. The alcohol is purchased from one company and another company sells it to the customers. In addition, the U hires security/police/others. The U can't be making much off the alcohol sales to the general public.

That's not what's important to them, though. They want to sell tickets, especially premium seats. Having alcohol available assists in selling tickets. That's why they flip flopped on their prior stance on alcohol sales to everyone - tickets sales are not where they want them to be.
 

The lines were much quicker than I thought they would be. I made three trips with ease.
 



Gopher Warrior said:
Yes. The alcohol is purchased from one company and another company sells it to the customers. In addition, the U hires security/police/others. The U can't be making much off the alcohol sales to the general public.

That's not what's important to them, though. They want to sell tickets, especially premium seats. Having alcohol available assists in selling tickets. That's why they flip flopped on their prior stance on alcohol sales to everyone - tickets sales are not where they want them to be.
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The Minneosta professional sports lobby got in the ear ($$$$$$) of a few key legislators to prevent the sale of alcohol in the suites because they disliked the competition it posed for their own premium seating.
 

randomjoe said:
Word on the street was lines were way too long, people got in line at the start of the second quarter and couldn't get through the line by halftime and were cut off.

Just put them at every concession booth
Click to expand...

You should be appointed to manage the concession stands at TCF!
 

Someone told me that the people who were in line before the end of half time were able to get a beer but of you tried to get in line after, you were turned away. I didn't see it first hand so I don't know for sure.
 

On a more important note, I see Rachael Slavik was at the beer garden.:cheer:

Reviews?
 

I went to the overflow area, or whatever it is called, for my beer. You literally go outside of the stadium and they have the street barricaded off with tents set up. 15 mins before the game there was no wait there, walked right up. I went out again right after we went up 30-7, about 3 mins before halftime and the lines were probably 20 deep, but it went fast. I was back in my seat by the time halftime started and watched the band and all the people on the plaza. I must say it looked a little nuts down there but people were moving. A guy near me said as long as you were in line when the 3rd quarter started, they let you buy beer. But that is where they cut it off. My experience was great, for the first time out, I thought they did a pretty good job. They even have cash registers, :cool:
 

Bought a beer 10 minutes before the start of the game and probably waited about 5 min in line. Then went and got another one midway through the second quarter and was directed to the overflow beer garden on the outside of the stadium--waited about 15 minutes for that one.

I'm wondering why they have both beer gardens at the West end. Couldn't they also put an outside one at the east end to help eliminate all of the congestion of everybody going to one end of the stadium to get beers? Overall, I think it went very well for the first go-round of beer sales.
 

I was on the plaza at halftime. When the clock reached zero to end halftime they would no longer let anyone else in line.
I was down there for quite awhile, and the lines moved pretty quickly.
 

Beer line was fine. Moved along just great, and everybody was in a festive mood. There were plenty of workers behind each counter with cash registers.

The steady stream of people with 2 beers in hand up the stairs was funny, I LOL'd.
 

CP Gopher said:
I was on the plaza at halftime. When the clock reached zero to end halftime they would no longer let anyone else in line.
I was down there for quite awhile, and the lines moved pretty quickly.
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Exactly, headed down halfway through halftime and had no problem getting another round. The "word on the street" for the OP couldn't be further from the truth.
 


Gopher_Ace said:
Exactly, headed down halfway through halftime and had no problem getting another round. The "word on the street" for the OP couldn't be further from the truth.
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Those people on the street must have referring to the line into Sation19.:)
 

Funny how anytime they mentioned beer being available @ TCF Gate A - the whole student section would cheer.
 

Goldmember said:
The Minneosta professional sports lobby got in the ear ($$$$$$) of a few key legislators to prevent the sale of alcohol in the suites because they disliked the competition it posed for their own premium seating.
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i know we are going to sound like conspiracy theory nut jobs (i almost always do), but i have to say that i wouldn't be at all surprised if there was some of that going on behind the scenes during the whole U of M vs. legislature dance over the last couple years. just how much, hard to say. but again, it wouldn't surprise me at all.

i love and hate that minneapolis is a pro sports town and a college town. my personal preference, in a perfect world would be that it was just a college town. obviously that hasn't been the case since 1947 with the minneapolis lakers, and 1960 with the twins and vikings. and with it being the size it is there is really no way that it could have remained just a college town without any pro sports teams.
 

Bought a couple of Summits on the Plaza 30 minutes before the game with no wait. While standing on the Plaza enjoying the beautiful day and the beer, I saw President Kaler walk by the tents. He seemed to be checking out the beer garden. I raised my glass to him and he pointed at me, smiled and said “I hope you are enjoying your beer!” I smiled and assured him that I was happy to be doing my part to help the University. Sent my buddy down from the second deck to get another round. He left a couple of minutes into halftime and returned about five minutes into the Third Quarter. He confirmed that, as long as you were in line at the end of the half, you could be served.
 

After the test run with the beer gardens, I hope things continue to go smoothly and the beer sales will extend to the end of the 3rd quarter. That would also increase the profits for the Athletic Department.
 

I bought from the non-plaza section via gate A. I followed the super-simple signs to get there and didn't wait in line right before the game and probably had an 8 minute wait at halftime.

Nothing to complain about and lots to cheer about. Sloooow news day when beer sales at TCF is one of the leads.
 

supadupafly said:
i know we are going to sound like conspiracy theory nut jobs (i almost always do), but i have to say that i wouldn't be at all surprised if there was some of that going on behind the scenes during the whole U of M vs. legislature dance over the last couple years. just how much, hard to say. but again, it wouldn't surprise me at all.
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I don't know the specifics of this particular situation, but if you think believing that deep-pocketed businesses have direct effect on laws makes you a conspiracy-theory nut job, you're probably more innocent and naive than you think. Corporate (and other moneyed) interests influence many if not most of the decisions in Washington, and in state legislatures across the country. Unfortunately, ours is no different.
 

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