Make the food and drink free at TCF

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Word said:
I wonder if they have a hard time finding lots of vendors willing to bid, since it's just a 7 or 8 home game season? Maybe it's not worth it to some of the "better" vendors. Or are all the Gopher sports tied into the same contract with the same vendor?
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I'll bet the U has a contract with someone across all sports. It used to be Aramark but that was when I was a student. I know that a lot of the staff at concession stands is there on a day-to-day basis, typically working as a fundraiser. I used to do it at Target Center as a student. So yeah, other than a few pros running logistics it's truly amateur hour running those stands. Most staff was trained that day.
 

fmlizard said:
I'll bet the U has a contract with someone across all sports. It used to be Aramark but that was when I was a student. I know that a lot of the staff at concession stands is there on a day-to-day basis, typically working as a fundraiser. I used to do it at Target Center as a student. So yeah, other than a few pros running logistics it's truly amateur hour running those stands. Most staff was trained that day.
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It's really painful to watch sometimes....

The burger is ov... it's over... oh gawd why did she go all the way over there and also not get that oth---- there now she's going back... again.


Let alone that day nobody filled the condiment things on the home side. Like that's not even hard to check / do. There's HOURS before the game starts to do that, but nope.
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I wasn't thinking of the clubs or fancy places (that's a different kind of thing), they had an upper deck section for a while years back, it was a "cheaper seats" section that included all you can eat, but the seats of course had a bit of a premium price tacked on.
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Yeah MLB teams have certainly done a AYCE option before. I did one at the White Sox park on a Groupon and the free eats were only pre-game in an area under the bleachers with all the charm of a North Korean prison camp.
 

Mariucci did "throwback" pricing on concessions last Saturday and it was a nice change of pace. Lines seemed longer but hard to say for sure. Hot dogs were $2 I think.
 

fmlizard said:
Yeah MLB teams have certainly done a AYCE option before. I did one at the White Sox park on a Groupon and the free eats were only pre-game in an area under the bleachers with all the charm of a North Korean prison camp.
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Yeah the non club or luxury AYCE options tend to be .... kinda horrible.
 



Otis said:
Does TCF have any concession stands run by people like Chick-fil-A, Panda Express or Famous Dave's? These high profile brand stands do much better in sales than ordinary concessions at the ballparks I go to.

Sweet Martha's could use a revenue stream other than the State Fair! A Johnsonville Brat house!
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They do have specialty foods and highlighted them in marketing videos and during the game. I find because I get to the stadium more than 20 minutes before kickoff I end up eating and drinking plenty before the game and usually don't spend much on concessions.
 


Buy a pop, get (insert food item here) free! Shoot that might even be profitable considering the profit margin on pop.
 



salzie said:
Subway
Dino's


off top of my head

I think TCF did good job of improving food last year
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Yes, because I always find it enjoyable when the guy sitting next to me has a foot long sub laid out precariously on his knees, then picks it up and jabs me and the other guy sitting next to him with his elbows while he slobbers lettuce and peppers all over the place. Oh, and the smell of someone else eating onions?...lovely, just lovely. Fun times.
 

salzie said:
They've never ran out of beer.

They did apparently run out of water last year
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That was during the Miami game when it was like 95. They had plenty of time to plan for it but still screwed up big time. Water has to be one of the most profitable products they sell too.
 

PurplePride said:
One thing they need to change is security. How about not getting practically strip searched when you try to enter the game?
Some will never come back because of the lousy experience of having our fourth amendment rights abused.
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^ Doesn't understand how the Constitution works
 

FredCoxRocks said:
Yes, because I always find it enjoyable when the guy sitting next to me has a foot long sub laid out precariously on his knees, then picks it up and jabs me and the other guy sitting next to him with his elbows while he slobbers lettuce and peppers all over the place. Oh, and the smell of someone else eating onions?...lovely, just lovely. Fun times.
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Better go check your lawn - I think those darn kids might be on it again
 



This could work for the club seats and/or suites. Make it an option to pay X% higher ticket fee, and that includes unlimited food/drinks with your ticket. Maybe you get a special "Gopher card" that you swipe, instead of swiping your credit card.

Don't think it would work for general part of the stadium.


My understanding is that the Delta Club in USBank Stadium includes unlimited food and drink.
 

dpodoll68 said:
^ Doesn't understand how the Constitution works
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Yeah well, I'm not even sure the founders would understand all the ways modern Americans abuse the words written in the constitution, completely ignoring the history and context of how they came to be written as they were, to push their various agendas.
 

FredCoxRocks said:
Yes, because I always find it enjoyable when the guy sitting next to me has a foot long sub laid out precariously on his knees, then picks it up and jabs me and the other guy sitting next to him with his elbows while he slobbers lettuce and peppers all over the place. Oh, and the smell of someone else eating onions?...lovely, just lovely. Fun times.
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I wasn't trying to suggest it was a good option
 

OK, the Gophers are not going to offer free food. But there are opportunities to work food into promotions.

Didn't they used to have a deal where you could get some kind of a family package: 4 tix, 4 pops, 4 hot dogs for a flat price? (or was that the Twins?)
Or maybe have special souvenir glasses with free refills (for pop). Or buy 3 hot dogs, get a pop free? Or try the movie theater deal - buy the super-giant tub of popcorn and get free refills.

The whole point is to offer fans something that at least seems like a deal - something extra, or at a lower rate. You know, an incentive to get people to think about going to games.

Because, the last time I checked, there were plenty of good seats available.
 

WorkingMyTailOff said:
Heard a good explanation of why the Atlanta Falcons decided to cut their concession prices drastically and how it’s working. I would love to see the Gophers try this as well.
https://www.npr.org/2018/11/22/6703...-for-their-stadium-food-but-is-it-working-out
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Yeah the Falcons model would be nice at TCF. It's proof that this idea in general can work. They are selling a recent Super Bowl NFL team with an exciting roster in a brand new $1B+ stadium. Their old stadium was full too. We're selling one of the most consistently forgettable major college programs over the past 50 years to a pro market and our stadium looks like a spring game in conference play. I think it calls for even bolder plans, like free.

Publicity, my friends. This program needs (positive) publicity badly.
 

fmlizard said:
Yeah the Falcons model would be nice at TCF. It's proof that this idea in general can work. They are selling a recent Super Bowl NFL team with an exciting roster in a brand new $1B+ stadium. Their old stadium was full too. We're selling one of the most consistently forgettable major college programs over the past 50 years to a pro market and our stadium looks like a spring game in conference play. I think it calls for even bolder plans, like free.

Publicity, my friends. This program needs (positive) publicity badly.
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I think $2 hot dogs, cokes, and popcorn would go a long way. For families bringing kids to games, the concessions are a big reason not to go. It's hard to tell your kids no and it's expensive to say yes.
Look at the Riverview Theater and how they have been able to attract large crowds for a long time with this model.
 

PurplePride said:
One thing they need to change is security. How about not getting practically strip searched when you try to enter the game?
Some will never come back because of the lousy experience of having our fourth amendment rights abused.
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Read the Constitution. Please.
 

To boost ticket sales, simply quit televising home games. Want to watch the Gophers, you need to buy a ticket and come to the games.
 

WorkingMyTailOff said:
I think $2 hot dogs, cokes, and popcorn would go a long way. For families bringing kids to games, the concessions are a big reason not to go. It's hard to tell your kids no and it's expensive to say yes.
Look at the Riverview Theater and how they have been able to attract large crowds for a long time with this model.
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Tickets to the movie itself are also $3 at most, I think that's a bigger driver than the cheap eats (although that doesn't hurt)

Doing some quick math:
Saturday night ticket:
AMC Southdale: $12.50
Riverview: $3.00
Riverview is 24% the price of the big boys.

Ohio State Cheapest Season Ticket Price: $97.20
Minnesota Cheapest Season Ticket Price: $35
Minnesota is 36% the price of the big boys.

To reach "Riverview" levels, Minnesota should charge $23.39 or $163.73 for the season.

*DISCLAIMER* Math is for entertainment purposes only *DISCLAIMER*
 
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So just a question to season ticket holders and those who pay that extra seat fee. What are the incentives that are given for being a season ticket holder? Are there different levels depending on how much your seat fee costs? Do you get discounts at the Goldy store or food at TCF? A free subscription to Gopher Illustrated? How about the opportunity to buy unsold tickets before they are sold to the public? Or tailgating parties that get you something free with your season ticket or seat fee? How difficult is it to give incentives and rewards during the game day experience for these loyal supporters? Now I don't think free food is not going to work, but I bet even the posters on gopherhole could come up with some good ideas to reward and give incentives for people who have supported the program.
 

Pete smith said:
To boost ticket sales, simply quit televising home games. Want to watch the Gophers, you need to buy a ticket and come to the games.
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I think some professional sports teams have tried that in the past and it ended up having people losing interest in that team. I thought I remember reading the Black Hawks did that some years ago and it backfired.
 

Pete smith said:
To boost ticket sales, simply quit televising home games. Want to watch the Gophers, you need to buy a ticket and come to the games.
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And I'm sure you're willing for Minnesota to forgo it's $50M share from the Big Ten, right? All those revenues come directly or indirectly from TV contracts.
 

ethomasp31 said:
So just a question to season ticket holders and those who pay that extra seat fee. What are the incentives that are given for being a season ticket holder? Are there different levels depending on how much your seat fee costs? Do you get discounts at the Goldy store or food at TCF? A free subscription to Gopher Illustrated? How about the opportunity to buy unsold tickets before they are sold to the public? Or tailgating parties that get you something free with your season ticket or seat fee? How difficult is it to give incentives and rewards during the game day experience for these loyal supporters? Now I don't think free food is not going to work, but I bet even the posters on gopherhole could come up with some good ideas to reward and give incentives for people who have supported the program.
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I don't know if there are more incentives for different seats, but we get a 10-15% discount on merchandise at the stadium and I think there was something about concessions if you spend so much you get $5 off per order? We are offered seats before the general public, which is my favorite incentive. The incentives are nice, but certainly not the reason to get tickets and I can't remember any incentive that I considered being really valuable. We like going to the games. We view the required donation as exactly that, a donation to gopher sports. We cheer for many of the programs and want them to be successful even if we don't attend many games besides football. We don't expect them to provide us much more than our seats and a competitive team to watch, which I guess has been too much to ask for some years.
 

Clark W. Griswold said:
I don't know if there are more incentives for different seats, but we get a 10-15% discount on merchandise at the stadium and I think there was something about concessions if you spend so much you get $5 off per order? We are offered seats before the general public, which is my favorite incentive. The incentives are nice, but certainly not the reason to get tickets and I can't remember any incentive that I considered being really valuable. We like going to the games. We view the required donation as exactly that, a donation to gopher sports. We cheer for many of the programs and want them to be successful even if we don't attend many games besides football. We don't expect them to provide us much more than our seats and a competitive team to watch, which I guess has been too much to ask for some years.
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I think some of the (potential) perks are what keeps people renewing. Not sure if it pulls in new people but maybe keeps people from dropping.
 

ethomasp31 said:
So just a question to season ticket holders and those who pay that extra seat fee. What are the incentives that are given for being a season ticket holder? Are there different levels depending on how much your seat fee costs? Do you get discounts at the Goldy store or food at TCF? A free subscription to Gopher Illustrated? How about the opportunity to buy unsold tickets before they are sold to the public? Or tailgating parties that get you something free with your season ticket or seat fee? How difficult is it to give incentives and rewards during the game day experience for these loyal supporters? Now I don't think free food is not going to work, but I bet even the posters on gopherhole could come up with some good ideas to reward and give incentives for people who have supported the program.
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You mean the donation?

I don't think there is a donation / non donation line as far as benefits goes.

I do get to feel superior to other Gopher fans...
 

ethomasp31 said:
So just a question to season ticket holders and those who pay that extra seat fee. What are the incentives that are given for being a season ticket holder? Are there different levels depending on how much your seat fee costs? Do you get discounts at the Goldy store or food at TCF? A free subscription to Gopher Illustrated? How about the opportunity to buy unsold tickets before they are sold to the public? Or tailgating parties that get you something free with your season ticket or seat fee? How difficult is it to give incentives and rewards during the game day experience for these loyal supporters? Now I don't think free food is not going to work, but I bet even the posters on gopherhole could come up with some good ideas to reward and give incentives for people who have supported the program.
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I agree. Other than the limited stuff Gopher Points gives (people with more will have to chime in) there really isn't anything that comes with being a season ticket holder besides having the same chair for every game. So why not just buy games ala carte on Stub Hub and skip the ones with crap weather?

There needs to be some creativity put out there to incentivize:

People to get season tickets and pay the donation fee instead of just going to a broker site on gameday
Students to show up, particularly at 11 am.

I remember how crucial being Subway Row of the Game at the Dome a couple times was to my college budget! They just passed stacks of coupons and got like 10 each time. I think that Subway is one of the only businesses still there in Dinkytown from my college days, so free food is survivable. They have been doing the 10 cents off gas thing on the tickets and calling it a day for too long. It's lazy marketing.

McDonalds has higher margins on food than most fine dining establishments that cost way more. I think folks underestimate the cheap cost basis of many ballpark foods.
 


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