Hot dogs

[Rodley]

So how does the club recover the cost of any “special equipment”? There’s no check on vendors sales. Two issues straight away.

You’d need a very good F&B manager to oversee a number of independent vendors, some of whom would not be happy signing any rent or lease agreement. Here’s another one, parking is at a premium at BL. Four stands. Where do the vendors park their vans etc. south Stand can probably cope, the other three. I’m afraid it’s always the same, people - understandably - want xyz but pay no heed to £SD or forget that the club is a business.

Yep. There’s no facilities to cook and no space for food prep.

Realistically you are looking at trying to get better suppliers in with better choice (more cost / less competitive lease?) or a smaller operator with more bespoke produce - but do they have the operational capacity, staff and supply chain to serve potentially 25,000 plus on a matchday?

Not as easy as it looks! I’d settle for better beer choices, quicker pour, better brand of pie. Incremental improvements.

 

[Rodley]

Saw a family walking back after half time with five yes five absolutely disgusting looking hot dogs

Hate it when people flaunt their wealth in public.

Tell em to get a counter offer in for the Club!

 

[BettingBlade]

Them hendos sausage rolls are fucking lovely. Everything else is a bit wank.

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

The service in the BLLT was awful at half time today. One muppet where I queued served two customer in 7 minutes. That's half of halftime, so he might serve 4 or 5 max in the halftime period. What didn't help was slowly pouring beer from cans to reduce the size of the head. Just bad business. How bother opening at halftime if you're not going to serve anyone. Amateur hour!

 

[Shakespeare blade]

I can see yours is limited also.

'Targeted customer base of 28,000', if you have read all the posts you will have seen that more than 50% have no intention of buying anything.

Then your targeted audience all want serving during 2 x 15 minute periods - once per week.

Festival food vendors have a 12/14 hour window for sales, not 15 minutes.
More time in one day than an entire season of matches at the Lane.

A bank manager would laugh your business plan out of the door.

Yes I have run my own business for 40 years, and yes I have also managed a fast food outlet.

The Admiral chippy can't make A Salt and Battered (London Road) pay, and that was open for 2,1/2 hours pre match.

Business plans are always great for those who have no risk involved.

I can see yours is limited also.

'Targeted customer base of 28,000', if you have read all the posts you will have seen that more than 50% have no intention of buying anything.

Then your targeted audience all want serving during 2 x 15 minute periods - once per week.

Festival food vendors have a 12/14 hour window for sales, not 15 minutes.
More time in one day than an entire season of matches at the Lane.

A bank manager would laugh your business plan out of the door.

Yes I have run my own business for 40 years, and yes I have also managed a fast food outlet.

The Admiral chippy can't make A Salt and Battered (London Road) pay, and that was open for 2,1/2 hours pre match.

Business plans are always great for those who have no risk involved.

That’s ok you’re have the right to disagree, I have the right to put my side forward as well.
You know nothing about me or me you that is also ok.

 

[Shakespeare blade]

I rather think that you don’t have a cogent argument but are just trying to back some financial snowflake up.

You did say 28k without mentioning how many there are now. You state the infrastructure is there but then say some equipment would be needed for vendors. You’ve ignored logistical issues getting vendors and their equipment into all four stands. You asked what experience l had - without disclosing your own - and once told play the immature internet don’t believe you card. Bit pathetic really. You be far better of dealing with my points with a decent rebuttal rather than puffing your chest out acting the knight in shining armour.

A less onerous task would be linking me to the post where l’ve claimed no outlets make a profit. The issue is whether independents tinning the show. You could also explain how the % of takings due to the club could be secured. Link all the tills to United system? More cost.

You’re struggling kid, and have resorted to cliches and misrepresentation. Twas ever thus on here.

Your next post was literally telling the forum how you were putting right people ( me I presume) who know very little what’s what when you have no experience at all.
As none of us including you have those figures who knows what it is or what it could be, as we are not privy to Compass paperwork no one knows how much they pay for the privilege or the margins they are working to, the retros they are getting and I wouldn’t assume I do.
I’ve said in my posts that we would have to add to the infrastructure and how this could be spread but all of this is mute as we don’t know if a feasibility study has been undertaken, let alone any of the other figures you would need.
All I know for certain is it’s not good enough for 10, 100, 1000 or 28000 of us and I think even we can I agree on that

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

The service in the BLLT was awful at half time today. One muppet where I queued served two customer in 7 minutes. That's half of halftime, so he might serve 4 or 5 max in the halftime period. What didn't help was slowly pouring beer from cans to reduce the size of the head. Just bad business. How bother opening at halftime if you're not going to serve anyone. Amateur hour!

Yeah.... But.... No rooom.... Cheaper... Can only work with what they've got... Etc etc.

It's as if many people are just happy to accept shit service and shit overpriced snap because even thinking about asking for an increase in quality scares them. Or they're just used to accepting shit. You wouldnt pay for a meal in a restaurant, accept it being burnt but cold and pay top money for it. So why accept it at Lane? And its not just a case of "nobody makes you buy it" either as that's just another cop out answer. Nobody makes anyone buy anything from anywhere but why is it seemingly so taboo to ask for better?

Even suggesting getting some vendors in and making the current facilities we do have feasible for a vendor to make use of is slapped away because those vendors wouldn't make much money. And? If they wouldn't make money from it they won't come. Nobody is suggesting they rock up next week. Obviously a more medium-term idea. Is it feasible? Would it work? And yes, I know fuckin compass have the fuckin contract (another cop out answer) but let's assume it's coming to an end in 2 years time. In that 2 years could we not do a proper in-depth look at this? That's plenty of time.

To dismiss the idea because some have worked in catering so know how it all works etc doesn't mean it can't be looked at. We literally have catering with ovens and friers. Everything a vendor would probably need is already there. A vendor will already have their certificates. The club have certificates. But we can't have different catering made available. That's basically the crux of the argument. As well as 'wah wah munneh. It needs munneh'. No, it needs progressive thinking and ideas. Not everything just fuckin shooting down every time because some think it won't work. Imagine living life that way? "Well I don't think we'll ever fly so let's not bother with an aeroplane Orville."
'Youre right Wilbur. Fuck it. Let's stick to the oss n cart instead. Who needs change eh?'

Hot dogs burgers and pies next year then, eh? It's true, Yorkshire men don't like change. Boring bastards.

Oh, and sausage rolls. Can't forget Dem £4.50 sausage rolls!

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

As for ale, I've said it numerous times. Vending machines. One full of lager. One full of the other stuff. They're contactless now. You could even tap a plus symbol and get multiple in one go. How long would 4 bottles take to drop over some little divvy fetching and carrying and taking payment? Cups available attached to the machine or drink from the can ("yeah but worrabartsafetycosofmetal"- plastic bottles then. There ya go, solved that one). But bar still available for soft drinks and owt else. Just far less busy. It vastly reduces queues and I dare say compass would earn far more as they'd sell more.

Just think about stuff. Think outside the box. There are some clever people on this forum but my god, the lack of forward thinking is frightening. "I know it won't work for this reason and that's that". How about "I don't THINK it would work for this reason but they COULD try this instead..."

But no "I know better" again.

If we don't have the facilities, you have to absolutely maximise and utilise the space you do have. Vending machines don't take up too much space. Just try one or two on the south stand or John Street. See how it goes for a little trial. Get some fan response. Have a look at the queue times. See how staff feel. Were they less busy? How many beers were sold with a bar and a vending machine compared to bar only? And everyone knows how to use a fuckin vending machine. And if you don't, just use the bar.

 

[Stevo71]

The service in the BLLT was awful at half time today. One muppet where I queued served two customer in 7 minutes. That's half of halftime, so he might serve 4 or 5 max in the halftime period. What didn't help was slowly pouring beer from cans to reduce the size of the head. Just bad business. How bother opening at halftime if you're not going to serve anyone. Amateur hour!



I had that problem earlier in the season, I went 5 minutes before halftime and didn't get served till 10 minutes after the restart. Normally I wouldn't go fir refreshments but I had my kid with me who was adamant he was having a hotdog basically those serving took forever to pour beer from cans into paper cups.

 

[AnotherBlade]

As for ale, I've said it numerous times. Vending machines. One full of lager. One full of the other stuff. They're contactless now. You could even tap a plus symbol and get multiple in one go. How long would 4 bottles take to drop over some little divvy fetching and carrying and taking payment? Cups available attached to the machine or drink from the can ("yeah but worrabartsafetycosofmetal"- plastic bottles then. There ya go, solved that one). But bar still available for soft drinks and owt else. Just far less busy. It vastly reduces queues and I dare say compass would earn far more as they'd sell more.

Just think about stuff. Think outside the box. There are some clever people on this forum but my god, the lack of forward thinking is frightening. "I know it won't work for this reason and that's that". How about "I don't THINK it would work for this reason but they COULD try this instead..."

But no "I know better" again.

If we don't have the facilities, you have to absolutely maximise and utilise the space you do have. Vending machines don't take up too much space. Just try one or two on the south stand or John Street. See how it goes for a little trial. Get some fan response. Have a look at the queue times. See how staff feel. Were they less busy? How many beers were sold with a bar and a vending machine compared to bar only? And everyone knows how to use a fuckin vending machine. And if you don't, just use the bar.

one thing I liked in the past (2006/7??) was on Kop at least, having a couple of people walking about with big back packs full of bottle of ale and selling them in the crowds to avoid everyone having to queue at the kiosks if happy enough with a bottle or two.... Too much like common sense to carry it on though.

 

[nopigfansintown]

Football snap/booze has moved on. Clubs now look at it as pre match, half time and even post match. It's a totally different ball game at the likes of Spurs, Brighton and Liverpool. I went to Anfield a while back and was in there a about 3 hours before kick off drinking and watching the early kick off. The stand was then open for some time post game.

Every £ made in town from a match going fan that isn't made by United is a £ lost. There's all that land there doing nowt that should be making money for the club on a matchday. Some clubs do their catering in house now with help from local suppliers - they tend to supply quality rather than the shite we get. They want you to go to the bar multiple times and have something to eat which would make a stark difference to the sums on here if successful. Then back at half time and maybe a couple on the way out. It needs someone with deep pockets and vision.. Something that has proved impossible at Bramall Lane all these years.

To be totally fair, at least there's the upstairs bar in John Street and there was the hotel before and after the game (before it shut). Both were/are unsurprisingly rammed which shows that the punters are there waiting given the facilities.

 

[JackSUFC]

Never understood why anyone has to eat and drink at a football ground.

That attitude might change if the choices and quality on offer were better though.

The potential is there. Other clubs around the country can do it, looking at the ‘Footy Scran’ page. Check it out if you’re not familiar.

SUFC benefits by an increased revenue stream, good PR etc, local vendors (if the club went down that route like others have) could make some money and the all-important ‘Fan Experience’ improves. What’s not to like?

It appears the club is tied into Compass though so nothing will change.

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

one thing I liked in the past (2006/7??) was on Kop at least, having a couple of people walking about with big back packs full of bottle of ale and selling them in the crowds to avoid everyone having to queue at the kiosks if happy enough with a bottle or two.... Too much like common sense to carry it on though.

They seemed to disappear as quick as they appeared. There one week and gone the next. But even if they had just 50 bottles, it alleviated some stress from the kiosks and bars. No doubt there's some sfatey aspect to it all or risk of people nicking from the bags etc. Same Owd usual excuses to stop any kind of improvements

 

[Nightsweats]

That attitude might change if the choices and quality on offer were better though.

The potential is there. Other clubs around the country can do it, looking at the ‘Footy Scran’ page. Check it out if you’re not familiar.

SUFC benefits by an increased revenue stream, good PR etc, local vendors (if the club went down that route like others have) could make some money and the all-important ‘Fan Experience’ improves. What’s not to like?

It appears the club is tied into Compass though so nothing will change.

My point is a purely personal one. Don't think I've ever bought food at a football ground, cricket ground,(always take a picnic), rugby ground, Wimbledon or live event of any type.
It's well known that by and large it's an extreme rip off and usually crap
I did enjoy occaisionally on cold winter days getting a footy special from the sadly now closed chippy on London Rd as well as the excellent Kurdistan cafe a few yards from said chippy. london Rd is brilliant for its range of cuisine so going for a bite to eat post match is a very attractive option. Love Zeugma in particular along with Saigon 68.
Thing is I'm going to watch 90 mins of football nothing more so however good the offering was it wouldn't interest me in the least. More often than not it involves queueing to the extent you miss a portion of the event you've actually paid to see.
Same re airline flights. Short haul you can't seriously be hungry. The food is garbage and obscenely priced. Different story on long haul but then it's usually excellent and included in the cost of the flight.

Each to their own.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Your next post was literally telling the forum how you were putting right people ( me I presume) who know very little what’s what when you have no experience at all.
As none of us including you have those figures who knows what it is or what it could be, as we are not privy to Compass paperwork no one knows how much they pay for the privilege or the margins they are working to, the retros they are getting and I wouldn’t assume I do.
I’ve said in my posts that we would have to add to the infrastructure and how this could be spread but all of this is mute as we don’t know if a feasibility study has been undertaken, let alone any of the other figures you would need.
All I know for certain is it’s not good enough for 10, 100, 1000 or 28000 of us and I think even we can I agree on that

Of course it’s not good enough. No one can deny that. My whole point, backed up with as examples as to why, it’s not a simple thing to solve. None of which have been rebutted in any way whatsoever. Taking it in house or a mixture of in house plus independents does not come cheap or guarantee profits over and above what the club are receiving now. There are no quick fixes or simple answers as some claim. The team at BL will have looked at this at some point and have plumped for the same old. That will be a financial decision which affects fans. But the bottom line is that the club and any supplier will want x profit. Compass provide pretty low quality produce and look at the prices. It’s hardly rocket science to expect better quality to cost more.

One other thing to think about is that the best of the pop ups could be giving up Saturday gigs that have a sales window fot say 7 hours minimum as against one from 1.30pm until 4pm.

Again, another reason why fag packet guarantees are generally nonsense. So many variables and a tendency to ignore costs to the club.

 

[Sean Thornton]

They seemed to disappear as quick as they appeared. There one week and gone the next. But even if they had just 50 bottles, it alleviated some stress from the kiosks and bars. No doubt there's some sfatey aspect to it all or risk of people nicking from the bags etc. Same Owd usual excuses to stop any kind of improvements

“Same Owd usual excuses to stop any kind of improvements”

Oh dear. More mardy nonsense. What does anyone get from that?

Poo pooing nonsense “fixes” isn’t stopping improvement. It’s pointing out they’re contrived to support an agenda. That’s before they get shredded by some who actually take a real world view.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Football snap/booze has moved on. Clubs now look at it as pre match, half time and even post match. It's a totally different ball game at the likes of Spurs, Brighton and Liverpool. I went to Anfield a while back and was in there a about 3 hours before kick off drinking and watching the early kick off. The stand was then open for some time post game.

Every £ made in town from a match going fan that isn't made by United is a £ lost. There's all that land there doing nowt that should be making money for the club on a matchday. Some clubs do their catering in house now with help from local suppliers - they tend to supply quality rather than the shite we get. They want you to go to the bar multiple times and have something to eat which would make a stark difference to the sums on here if successful. Then back at half time and maybe a couple on the way out. It needs someone with deep pockets and vision.. Something that has proved impossible at Bramall Lane all these years.

To be totally fair, at least there's the upstairs bar in John Street and there was the hotel before and after the game (before it shut). Both were/are unsurprisingly rammed which shows that the punters are there waiting given the facilities.

IThe rammed bar in the hotel didn’t have a great effect on stopping the losses it made year in year out. My whole point is that claims are made that make out it’s an easy fix. It clearly isn’t. The current fayre on offer is poor but look how many put up with it? Presumably enough to provide compass with the desired profit and the club with a fee it’s willing to accept. There’s a risk to change, pricing. Investment costs, logistics profit margins etc. All major factors and none of which have been rebutted. Instead, the laughable conclusion is that l’m wanting to stop improvement. Which shows the lack of logic in the whole debate.

Shakespeare blade makes his points without howls of anguish because he doesn’t agree or because his feels his forum ego has taken a hit.

 

[Shakespeare blade]

Not sure we’re even at a back of a fag packet yet, as I’ve said the variables are unknown so that would be impossible.
Compass largest catering company in the world would have access to the best prices for materials than any other company, but this is not how they work, it’s all about retros, smoke and mirrors so Sheffield United will never have a clear picture of what and how, it’s what they do best.
You may have a point about street vendors having to give up a whole day you may not again this question as far as both as of us are aware hasn’t been asked.
Also lots of companies now do street food directly from their factory to the caterer, so even if small independent businesses can’t do it Sheffield United certainly still could, these businesses also have their own chefs they will send out to sites for promotional purposes.
The tills at Sheffield United are from a company in Newcastle area, very modern and great back office support, works of WiFi or 4g these are all linked and very easily details of each till point and what they served /sold can be broken down, they allow pre orders as well, these are also cheap in the scheme of things except the annual service charge around 3-5k
The world of catering, hospitality has moved on so quickly in the past 10 years, but as you’ve stated until the club is willing to put a plan & money into place to make it happen it never will, doesn’t mean it’s can’t or shouldn’t.

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

Football snap/booze has moved on. Clubs now look at it as pre match, half time and even post match. It's a totally different ball game at the likes of Spurs, Brighton and Liverpool. I went to Anfield a while back and was in there a about 3 hours before kick off drinking and watching the early kick off. The stand was then open for some time post game.

Every £ made in town from a match going fan that isn't made by United is a £ lost. There's all that land there doing nowt that should be making money for the club on a matchday. Some clubs do their catering in house now with help from local suppliers - they tend to supply quality rather than the shite we get. They want you to go to the bar multiple times and have something to eat which would make a stark difference to the sums on here if successful. Then back at half time and maybe a couple on the way out. It needs someone with deep pockets and vision.. Something that has proved impossible at Bramall Lane all these years.

To be totally fair, at least there's the upstairs bar in John Street and there was the hotel before and after the game (before it shut). Both were/are unsurprisingly rammed which shows that the punters are there waiting given the facilities.

I understand that these new build stadiums like Brighton and Spurs and Arsenal have been built with these kind of facilities in mind. That's fine. I get that. And I get that we don't have the space for it. But nobody is suggesting that we do. People are suggesting that we use what we've got to improve the shit that we're served up.

United lease it out because its easier. The money isn't thought about.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Not sure we’re even at a back of a fag packet yet, as I’ve said the variables are unknown so that would be impossible.
Compass largest catering company in the world would have access to the best prices for materials than any other company, but this is not how they work, it’s all about retros, smoke and mirrors so Sheffield United will never have a clear picture of what and how, it’s what they do best.
You may have a point about street vendors having to give up a whole day you may not again this question as far as both as of us are aware hasn’t been asked.
Also lots of companies now do street food directly from their factory to the caterer, so even if small independent businesses can’t do it Sheffield United certainly still could, these businesses also have their own chefs they will send out to sites for promotional purposes.
The tills at Sheffield United are from a company in Newcastle area, very modern and great back office support, works of WiFi or 4g these are all linked and very easily details of each till point and what they served /sold can be broken down, they allow pre orders as well, these are also cheap in the scheme of things except the annual service charge around 3-5k
The world of catering, hospitality has moved on so quickly in the past 10 years, but as you’ve stated until the club is willing to put a plan & money into place to make it happen it never will, doesn’t mean it’s can’t or shouldn’t.

Pretty much agreeing with my initial point that they are no quick fixes. Especially if people don’t have the slightest clue what hoops have to be jumped through.

I now read that money isnt important for a club apparently skint , rather than even considering the clubs costing of the issue don’t add up. At which point as the claims are approaching Jay from the inbetweeners levels of fuckwittery is time to leave it.

 

[JackSUFC]

My point is a purely personal one. Don't think I've ever bought food at a football ground, cricket ground,(always take a picnic), rugby ground, Wimbledon or live event of any type.
It's well known that by and large it's an extreme rip off and usually crap
I did enjoy occaisionally on cold winter days getting a footy special from the sadly now closed chippy on London Rd as well as the excellent Kurdistan cafe a few yards from said chippy. london Rd is brilliant for its range of cuisine so going for a bite to eat post match is a very attractive option. Love Zeugma in particular along with Saigon 68.
Thing is I'm going to watch 90 mins of football nothing more so however good the offering was it wouldn't interest me in the least. More often than not it involves queueing to the extent you miss a portion of the event you've actually paid to see.
Same re airline flights. Short haul you can't seriously be hungry. The food is garbage and obscenely priced. Different story on long haul but then it's usually excellent and included in the cost of the flight.

Each to their own.

I’m with you as I rarely buy food in the ground myself. The last time I did was last season at a midweek match when I’d rushed there straight from work.

However I imagine a lot of people’s usual match day routine includes getting food out and about with their mates or families. Surely they’d be more inclined to spend their money at the Lane if the club put more effort into the catering. I know I would.

We get great attendances and I just think the club could use that more to its advantage.

 

[MancBlade85]

re: contract. gi' it to Man Friday's til end of season.

 

[robbiez666]

Radio program about food in Norwich and they visit the ground who say they tried to source local suppliers for food but no one could do it at the scale they needed so they use similar suppliers to other clubs.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Radio program about food in Norwich and they visit the ground who say they tried to source local suppliers for food but no one could do it at the scale they needed so they use similar suppliers to other clubs.

Several people required to hold other people’s beer……

 

[bladesmanluke]

Radio program about food in Norwich and they visit the ground who say they tried to source local suppliers for food but no one could do it at the scale they needed so they use similar suppliers to other clubs.

Seems unlikely considering the size of the chickens in the barns round that way

 

[Sean Thornton]

Seems unlikely considering the size of the chickens in the barns round that way

Think that’s the result of mixing DNA with the locals……

 

[Nightsweats]

 

[robbiez666]

Seems unlikely considering the size of the chickens in the barns round that way

I think you'll find they're prostitutes.

 

[247Blade]

Yep. There’s no facilities to cook and no space for food prep.

Realistically you are looking at trying to get better suppliers in with better choice (more cost / less competitive lease?) or a smaller operator with more bespoke produce - but do they have the operational capacity, staff and supply chain to serve potentially 25,000 plus on a matchday?

Not as easy as it looks! I’d settle for better beer choices, quicker pour, better brand of pie. Incremental improvements.

Wherever you are, no excuse for shit food and drink at any price!

 

[CarlMcBlade]

How about the jumping frog?