News flash: People like to eat and drink. And whether you operate a professional sports stadium or a park district hot dog stand, concessions can be a great way to boost the bottom line. In 2023, 78% of consumers who visited a sports/concert venue ordered food and beverages (F&B), with the average customer spending about $32, according to market researcher Datassential. And industry research firm Technomic reported that in 2023, concessions spending at these venues (excluding inflation) grew 3.7% over 2022, with growth for 2024 forecasted to be nearly 7%.
Chris Nawracaj is general manager of Deep River Waterpark in Crown Point, Ind, which is operated by Lake County Parks and Recreation, and he said they operate six different food stands. “We keep them pretty specific for speed, so we have standalone pizza, funnel cakes, ice cream, and a location that serves all the fried food and items off the grill. Our food stands are located in various locations around the park, and spread out so that no one particular area gets congested.”
Along with concession staples, Nawracaj said they’re always looking for the next big thing. “Trying to come up with signature food offerings is always a challenge. However, we take inspiration from current trends or even employee ideas. Our operations manager had an idea for what he called the MooCluckOink, which was a burger patty, a grilled chicken patty and bacon served on a hamburger bun with all the toppings. We had it on our menu for a little bit, and it sold decently for us.
“That being said, we generally test out new ideas on our employees in the summer at our employee food location, or in the winter when we have ice skating,” continued Nawracaj. “By the time summer comes around the menus are pretty set for the season. But if something tests well, then it will generally make the menu for the next season. We also have all the tried-and-true favorites, however.”
Some foods, including hotdogs, pizza, popcorn, and snow cones, have higher profit margins, reportedly 80% to 90%, and Nawracaj said their food stands are an “incredible source of revenue for the park and greatly add to per-cap spending. Especially our Dippin Dots location (beads of ice cream that are frozen using cryogenic technology), which can make as much money just selling those as our number two location which would be the main café area serving grilled food.”
In 2024, Nawracaj said the park rolled out mobile ordering in their cabanas and private shelters. “After the customer orders, the food will be brought to their cabana.”
Only one food stand at Deep River has indoor seating, according to Nawracaj, the rest are more “grab & go,” though there is a large outdoor seating area by the main café. And for those reserving a larger group shelter or pavilion, there’s a popular full catering menu. “For a day group the food is prepared in our separate standalone catering kitchen. If it’s a private (night) event and they’d like grilled food, we’ll generally grill right next to the pavilion where the group is eating. We’re lucky to have the staff and space to prepare for such caterings and not have to take up space in a normal food stand.”
There are inspections by the local health department once or twice a season, according to Nawracaj, and “We also get inspected by the USDA annually.”
And as COVID-era issues still linger, he said staffing has been challenging in recent years. “We’ve increased our starting wage, and it does seem to help. Even consistently getting the same food items from our supplier has been a struggle at times, and we’ve had to switch to different things until the usual item is back in stock.”
Adam Browning is president of a concessions equipment manufacturer and supplier headquartered in Cincinnati, and he mentioned some concession favorites, with popcorn at the top. “It’s a versatile snack that’s both popular and profitable,” whether it’s traditional movie theater butter popcorn, a light alternative with white popcorn or mixing it up with shake-on flavors. Other well-performing offerings include cotton candy, frozen treats, nachos, and hotdogs. “A good rule to follow is to have foods on your menus that can be considered snacks, entrees, or desserts.”
Waffles can be all three of those, and are a rising trend, according to Browning. “Because they can be made in different shapes and flavors, venues have a lot of different options. Try nacho bubble waffles or birthday cake waffle dogs for a fresh take on how waffles can make an innovative concession treat.”
In addition to waffle makers, Browning’s company offers fryers—electric and outdoor gas versions. “Having the ability to make funnel cakes, corn dogs, and other fried foods onsite drives more traffic to your concession stand.”
Popcorn vending machines are also growing in popularity. These self-serve dispensers “eliminate the need for scooping. Customers can serve themselves with just the push of a button. Some units have the option to add a cashless payment system. Other options include adding a fully-wrapped graphics package, which can be branded for your location,” said Browning.
And he pointed out that even in winter, frozen treats still sell. “(Snow cones) or shave ice are ideal offerings, as you can make single servings as needed. There are ready-to-use syrups so all you need to do is pour.”
Of course, hot beverages are always welcome when there’s a chill, and “you don’t have to stick to just plain coffee and hot chocolate; dress up your drinks with flavors like salted caramel hot chocolate or apple pie cider,” Browning suggested.
Even a small food stand at a park or school can be a dependable profit maker. “There are options for smaller operators, including prepackaged grab-and-go items like gourmet popcorn, cotton candy, nachos, and soft pretzels,” said Browning. And he added that they offer free concession stand planning and menu consultation, as well as hosting Fun Food Expos at their branch locations, “where guests can… see what’s new, watch the equipment in action, and taste test delicious recipes. We also welcome customers to visit our showrooms and schedule a one-on-one demonstration or training.”
In Geneva, Ill., the Kane County Cougars play in the American Association, an independent Major League Baseball Partner league. Jon Nekolny is director of food and beverage for the Cougars, and he said fans don’t just come out for the game, they “come to enjoy the wide variety of food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage options.”
The ballpark hosts 13 separate concession stands, and Nekolny said top sellers are pretty consistent from season to season, including “hotdogs, Dippin Dots, chicken tenders, Bavarian pretzels, burgers, and of course, premium and domestic draft beer.”
Nekolny said they come up with an “over the top” menu item to sell each season, and in 2024, “…our chef created an item called the Bun Dinger. We put our angus hotdog in a plain, long john donut ‘bun,’ top it with bacon jam and bacon bits, then drizzle it with vanilla frosting.”
And they’ve become known for their Atomic Pork Chop sandwich, created to honor the team’s alter ego—the Atomic Pork Chops.
As venues of all sizes add more outrageous items to menus, many also look to highlight local options. The Baltimore
Orioles stadium offers rockfish tacos and crab cake burgers; the New Orleans Pelicans feature creole specialties; the Boston Bruins hockey arena has clam chowder and lobster rolls; and Chicago’s Wrigley Field developed a concession stand where a range of rotating local chefs showcase their culinary creations.
At Cougars stadium, a popular local meat market operates a sausage stand, there’s local sweets and gourmet popcorn, and the Cougars work with local whiskey and vodka distilleries. “We love partnering up with local businesses to showcase what the area has to offer,” said Nekolny.
For private groups there are individual suites, outfield decks and rooftop party decks that can accommodate anywhere from 12 to 1,000 people. “Each area has its own separate menu of great options to choose from,” said Nekolny. Behind home plate in the StrikeZone, “You can reserve a table in advance where a dedicated server will take your order and deliver it back to your table. You just sit back and enjoy the game!”
Various promotions and weekly specials include the popular Thirsty Thursday, featuring hotdogs, sodas, and draft beer for $2 each. And in 2024, all F&B locations were cashless, accepting credit/debit cards and two mobile payment systems, according to Nekolny. Additionally, mobile ordering is offered using a food app “from one of our main concessions stands, and it’s gaining in popularity from season to season.”
There’s also a Food Truck Patio, featuring three permanent local trucks. “From time to time, we’ll also have a temporary food truck on our third base concourse to give fans even more great food options.”
In fact, the food truck business continues to experience impressive growth, and Custom Market Insights reported that in 2022 the size of the food truck market was $1.48 billion, with more than 35,500 trucks operating in the U.S. Trucks are showing up at farmers markets, local festivals and concerts, block parties, fundraisers, brew pubs, wineries, and numerous private events.
Bikini Panini is a Richmond, Va.-based food truck, and owner/chef Laura Daab—with a background in hospitality and restaurants—worked on a truck for 10 months before starting her business eight years ago. “I’d recommend that everyone who’s interested in starting a food truck work on a truck first to see if it’s a good fit, and so that you know how to run the business.”
Bikini Panini offers fresh-pressed panini sandwiches, made-from-scratch paella, ratatouille, soup du jour, and freshly baked desserts and ice cream treats. There’s a kids’ menu, and “We can offer items for meat lovers, vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free diets,” said Daab. “These options are very popular with customers as many people are looking for healthy options when they order from mobile food operations.”
Daab prepares everything on her truck, no commissary required. “Each jurisdiction is different,” she explained. “I had to configure my truck with five sinks and some other accommodations to qualify as a self-contained truck through my health department.” A health inspector conducts a thorough inspection of trucks/mobile units annually, and there are spot inspections throughout the year. “I have four business licenses because each locality requires a license in order to collect meals tax.” Daab is the only W-2 employee, though her husband sometimes works with her too, presumably getting paid in sandwiches.
For private/catering events—which Daab said includes fundraisers, weddings, birthday parties, retirements, corporate events, sporting events, and even wakes—the event organizer pays a deposit and required minimum plus other expenses, like travel fees. At vending bookings, typically open to the public, attendees pay for their own meals. Daab said these can be good jobs if there’s live music and the business is popular. “You learn where the good jobs are with experience.” Many vending jobs require no fees, some require 10% of sales, and “others may have larger fees if they’re big music festivals or farmers markets.”
Online ordering is available at Bikini Panini, using a website connected to Daab’s point-of-sale (POS) app where “people can pre-order and pre-pay for their meals and schedule a time for pickup. Before a job, I set the time parameters and the meal choices available for the day. This is a popular feature, and my customers like it.” Customers also have the option to order directly from the service window in real time.
There are many national, regional and local food truck associations in existence, and Daab is president of the Richmond Food Truck Association (RFTA). Board positions are volunteer, and membership fees cover website maintenance and miscellaneous administrative fees. Daab mentioned some member benefits, including having a link to your business on the RFTA website where potential customers or event bookers can view your information.
Daab pointed out that mobile food businesses are typically independently owned and operated, and operators are extremely busy, therefore “We communicate with the health department, jurisdictions, and local businesses to advocate for our members and the food truck industry in general.” Additionally, “We also try to have a social every year to celebrate!” It’s a safe bet that the food is excellent. RM