This burger is not a hockey puck
Over the past few years, the Nashville Predators and the food service staff at Bridgestone Arena have announced new food items for fans each year, with a focus on new and/or trendy options: a Food Network-branded stand, chicken-and-waffles, hot chicken, etc. For the 2015-16 season, management has turned their attention to lifting the curtain between food preparation and service to offer their customers a new experience as part of a $2.8 million renovation of the concessions systems.
With the NHL All-Star game coming to the 'Stone next year, it's definitely time for the Preds to shine in the national spotlight as a hockey club, and the venue has evolved into one of the most-used entertainment facilities in the nation. The announced enhancements could go a long way to improving that reputation even further.
The highlight of the renovations will be most noticeable in the completely redesigned food court right inside the main entrance near Section 101. Food stands have been rejiggered and named after the primary dining options offered in each location: BBQ, Burgers and Tacos. They have removed the walls that have traditionally shielded the prep area from service, so patrons can actually see their food being prepared fresh to order, so there will be no excuses for cold food. However, this also means workers will have to emphasize speed to keep the lines moving.
In the new BBQ counter, Bridgestone has installed a modern Southern Pride smoker with the capacity to cook 300 pounds of meat at a time in a rotisserie. Pork shoulders will be picked off the butt to order, and beef brisket will sliced by trained culinary workers and served hot to the plate. In addition to these products and smoked chicken, the brisket will make its way into a a plate of Brisket Chili Nachos to be served at the Pucks n' Pints stand.
The Burgers stand will take advantage of a mammoth 5-foot diameter Mongolian barbecue-style griddle where multiple cooks will prepare burgers to order. The pulled pork from the BBQ stand is available as a separate topping for the Smashville Squealer Burger. (Tums optional.)
The Tacos bar will emphasize custom order and plenty of choices for patrons. Meats like Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken, Carne Asada and Pork Chili Verde will be available in many incarnations, with customers choosing between traditional soft tacos, burrito bowls nachos or taco salads as the base for their meal.
The Asian and Pizza concepts remain pretty much the same, with custom-built noodle or rice bowls topped with a variety of protein and sauce options, and Hunt Brothers providing the pies. A new Chicken Shack has absorbed the Hot Chicken and Chicken-and-Waffles dishes, along with other Southern specialties such as biscuits, mac-and-cheese and a buttery Mashed Potato Bowl.
Suite-holders and patrons of the Patron Platinum Club will also see upgrades to their food options thanks to the addition of new dishes emphasizing high-end ingredients like Benton's bacon and Kenny's Farmhouse cheeses. Even if you don't have access to a suite, many of the ticket options include pre-game access to the Patron Lounge if you want a meal before the puck drops.
These are all good signs of the Predators' commitment to the fan experience, but they will definitely require a further emphasis on service to keep the food flowing with all those custom orders and freshly-prepared meals. While the cooks are all trained culinary workers, the service will still be primarily provided by volunteer workers who are raising funds for their particular charities, school and sports teams.
As a Preds and Titans season ticket holder, I can speak to the reality that not every group of volunteers seem to have the same sense of urgency when it comes to service, though the Preds have been head and shoulders above the Nissan Stadium experience when it comes to keeping the lines moving, in my opinion. I've wondered why this volunteer model continues to be the norm at sports venues, since it seems to be a real limiting factor when it comes to the full user experience.
I know that the money raised by these groups is valuable to their budgets, and for the most part, their hearts seem to be in the right place. But all the major sports teams already have charitable foundations, so why couldn't they just apply for out-and-out grants? Just spitballing here, but if there are 30 concession stands at the football stadium with 10 workers apiece earning, say, $100 for a game shift, it would only cost the team $30K to staff them with trained professionals. If they still granted the money they previously would have "paid" the workers' organizations on an application basis, it seems to me they'd only need to serve one extra food item or beer to 10,000 fans per game to more than break even, while still keeping the teams, schools and charities intact.
I believe this could vastly improve the fan experience and employ another 300 Nashvillians on a part-time basis. So what do you think Bitesters? Is there some massive flaw in my reasoning? What have your service experiences been like at local entertainment venues, and who does it best? What would you change? Personally, if I'm gonna pay $9 for a beer, I'd better at least get it quickly!
