Monday, June 25, 2007
By DAVID SKOLNICK
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN — A family of four attending an event at the Chevrolet Centre could easily spend about $40 for food and drinks at the facility.
The cost adds up quickly:
• $12 for four hot dogs.
• $5 for two pretzels.
• $2.50 for a bag of peanuts.
• $2.75 for a bag of popcorn.
• $6.50 for two soft drinks.
• $8 for two 16-ounce beers.
And it’s that cost that has city officials concerned.
They receive complaints about the price of food and drinks at the city-owned facility. Some people say they can’t afford to buy any food or beverage items, so they don’t go to the center, city officials say.
Because of that, the city is negotiating with Boston Culinary Group, the center’s food and beverage vendor, to lower those prices, said Mayor Jay Williams.
Making comparisons
A review by The Vindicator of the Chevrolet Centre and four other nearby entertainment facilities shows the prices at the Youngstown arena are, for the most part, equal to or slightly lower.
The other facilities are Eastwood Field in Niles, Canal Park in Akron, PNC Park in Pittsburgh and Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
Those four are outdoor stadiums with a main focus on sporting events; the latter two are the homes of professional sports teams. The Chevrolet Centre is an indoor facility that has two minor league sports teams play there, but also holds other events.
Attempts to obtain food and drink costs at the Toledo Sports Arena, the Quickens Loan Arena in Cleveland and the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh were unsuccessful.
The food and beverage costs at entertainment facilities are market-driven, those in the concession business say.
Competitive prices
“Our menu prices are competitively priced with sports and entertainment venues in the region and across the hospitality industry,” said David Freireich, spokesman for Aramark, a Philadelphia-based company that handles concessions for numerous facilities including PNC Park and Heinz Field.
A 22-ounce soft drink at Heinz Field is $4, the same price for a 20-ounce soft drink at PNC Park. That same drink is a bit cheaper at the Chevy Centre, $3.25 for 20 ounces; Eastwood Field, $3 for 20 ounces; and $3.50 at Canal Park.
But apparently a 20-ounce bottle of water is a 20-ounce bottle of water for all but one of the facilities. The water bottle is $3 everywhere except Canal Park, where it costs $3.50.
Williams said concession prices should be market-driven and the cost of food and drink items at the Youngstown center should be less expensive than professional sports venues in Pittsburgh or other larger cities.
How they stack up
Brad Hooser, Eastwood’s director of concessions, said the prices at his facility are based on the cost from the suppliers and labor.
“A lot of our concessions are affordable compared to movie theaters and other facilities,” he said.
The food and drink prices at Eastwood, the home of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers minor league baseball team, are typically the same at the Chevrolet Centre, give or take 25 or 50 cents.
The prices at Canal Park, the home of the Akron Aeros minor league baseball team, are a bit higher overall in comparison to the center.
“We take a close look at our food costs and keep them competitive,” said Jeff Meehan, general manager of Aerofare, the park’s food service company.
For some items, price isn’t a concern, he said. For example, Aerofare charges $7 for a 24-ounce draft Corona beer. The beer is very popular with customers, Meehan said.
Also, Eastwood and Canal offer specials for particular days.
At Eastwood, hot dogs are 25 cents every Tuesday. Hot dogs, 12-ounce soft drinks and 12-ounce draft beers are $1 each every Thursday.
“It makes it more affordable for our customers,” Hooser said.
At Canal Park, hot dogs are $1 on Mondays; hot dogs, popcorn and ice cream are buy one, get one free on Tuesdays; and the price of soft drinks and draft beers are reduced by $1 on Thursdays.
Williams would like to see food and drink specials at the Chevrolet Centre, saying it’s an excellent way to bring people to the facility.
“You can get a DVD, popcorn and hot dogs and stay at home for less money; that’s understood,” he said. “But you get a different experience coming to the center. We want people to come and eat and for it to not be cost-prohibitive. By making it a good experience, we hope to convince families to come down six or so times a year.”
Reducing costs
The mayor is holding discussions with Boston Culinary to reduce the cost of arena staples such as hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn and soft drinks.
“I want it to be something that the customer would actually notice,” Williams said. “It’s an issue of volume. If the cost is reduced, more food and drinks will be sold. Selling more would make up for the price reductions.”
The mayor wants to see the prices reduced in a few months.
Williams said Mark Daigle, Boston Culinary’s general manager at the center, is agreeable to look at cutting the prices. Attempts to contact Daigle as well as Boston Culinary corporate office officials were unsuccessful.
On Feb. 28, Daigle heard complaints from city council members about the cost of food and drinks. At the time, Daigle said he provides a quality product and to lower the price of food would lessen that quality. Some council members said that would be fine because people don’t come to the center for fine dining.
skolnick@vindy.com