Taking the lead in concession technology innovation

Aramark caters to over 100 million fans each year at more than 30 professional sports arenas and is a leader in foodservice technology innovation, helping venues deploy solutions that create better fan foodservice experiences and improve the bottom line.

Technology innovations are making a significant impact on entertainment venue foodservice. To create better game-day and event-day experiences for consumers, venues are deploying new technologies that improve and speed up service — and overcome business challenges, including friction in the foodservice process and today’s tight labor market.

This move is motivated by fans who are frustrated by the concession experience at stadiums, convention centers and cultural attractions. They don’t want to stand in long lines and potentially miss out on
the event they paid to see live just to get a hot dog and beer. The trickle-down effect means lower food sales and even lower ticket sales.

However, many venues are finding effective solutions to these challenges thanks to new technologies that speed up foodservice, overcome staff shortages and make eating at events fun again. Here’s how your venue can take the journey from struggling with poor concession sales to boosting sales and fan experiences with the right foodservice technology solutions.

“We’re continually researching innovative ways to use digital technology to create a more streamlined, convenient and frictionless process that allows fans to purchase food faster and get back to their seats.”

Alison Birdwell, President, Aramark Sports & Entertainment Division

Concession Challenges

The three main challenges facing concession stands are slow service, labor shortages and poor customer perception. Here’s what that means for venues.

Long Lines. Slow Service.

In today’s world, we’re not used to waiting for anything. Consumers expect shipping to be immediate, groceries to be delivered same-day and search results to appear before we even finish typing. One area people particularly don’t want to wait for is foodservice. Slow foodservice — or even the perception of it — deters food and beverage purchases and prevents some guests from even approaching concession stands because they don’t want to miss any of the game, entertainment or performance.

“The No. 1 complaint you hear from event attendees is that it takes too long to get food and beverages. Above all, we have to get fans through the lines quicker so they can get back to the action.”

Vincent Vazquez, Aramark General Manager, Citi Field

“Improving service times is one of the key goals of venues today. We would like to get folks through and back in their seats. Frictionless is key. We want to move people through the lines faster will correlate into higher top-line sales and a better bottom line.”

Liz Noe, District Manager, Capital One Arena

Fewer Staff. Higher Costs.

The coronavirus pandemic delivered an unprecedented shock to the global economy, putting tens of millions of people out of work and displacing many others. The job market will never be the same. Although many businesses are hiring, many workers aren’t keen on returning to the workday grind. In the U.S., a record 4 million people quit their jobs in April, including 649,000 retail workers. No one knows if they’ll be coming back.

“Labor is getting very expensive across the board and it's not consistent enough to handle a venue at full capacity.”

Vincent Vazquez, Aramark General Manager, Citi Field

Low-Tech Venue.
Poor Fan Perception.

Along with long lines and staffing crunch, venues that aren’t equipped with leading-edge technology solutions are perceived poorly by customers — especially since consumers today are used to the speed and convenience of mobile food ordering and purchasing. Continuing to operate with outdated systems, or worse, modern systems that don’t work like they are supposed to, will not make a good impression on attendees. They are tech-savvy and know what works well and what doesn’t.

“Venues want to be seen among the fans as cutting edge when it comes to technology. If they aren’t leaders in providing the latest and greatest solutions it will leave fans with a poor perception.”

Peter Matra, Aramark District Manager, Citi Field

Foodservice Tech Solutions to the Rescue

Redefining fans’ in-person experience has become table stakes for entertainment venues, which are increasingly competing with consumers’ high-tech, home-viewing technologies, livestreaming apps and real-time, fan-to-fan engagement.

Even if customers make it to the event venue, it doesn’t mean they’ll choose to dine in the concessions, as has been shown by an overall decline in on-site dining. Enticing them back requires venues to step up their game — and today that means deploying the latest technologies to improve guests’ dining experience.

With technology edging out of its infancy in stadium foodservice, fans can expect more mobile ordering, express pickup lanes, self-ordering options, handheld devices and kiosks in the coming years. In addition to the fixed concession spaces, stadiums continue embracing mobility, giving a modern-day spin to the old-time vendors.

Here are some examples of leading-edge venue dining technologies.

“It’s only the beginning of tech’s rush into stadium foodservice. Aramark’s data science group continues analyzing information it can translate into operations, including experiences with fewer transactions and more all-inclusive programs.”

Danielle Lazor, Regional Vice President - West Region, Aramark Sports & Entertainment Division

Smart store

Mashgin Self-Checkout Kiosk

This touchless takeout technology is the world’s fastest checkout system powered by AI. Fans self-scan items, including alcoholic beverages, and checkout using Clear’s fingerprint technology. The system provides age verification for alcoholic beverage sales.

It can identify multiple items in under a second so customers can scan, pay and be on their way. It’s designed to drive up revenue by reducing lines and speeding up service. The system can help boost check averages, reduce labor demands and elevate customer satisfaction. Venues can go as big as they want with Mashgin unit deployments.

“In my estimation, our two Mashgin kiosk stations, where fans can get their favorites fast, are making the biggest impact in our concession sales. Top-line growth and customer satisfaction, are through the roof.”

Liz Noe, Aramark Resident District Manager, Capital One Arena

“Our Mashgin kiosk allows us to provide two points of sale with only one employee. We’re generating transactions 10 times faster than humans with the technology. It’s our top revenue location for portable beer sales, generating $3,000 more than our next highest point of sale. We had a 30% profit increase at one location. Plus, the fan experience is wonderful.”

Vincent Vazquez, Aramark General Manager, Citi Field

Data Analytics Dashboard

Gaining robust insights into foodservice sales provides unlimited ways to exponentially expand customer satisfaction and sales. From a single client dashboard with real-time feeds, venues can access critical insights and execute sales programs in real time. This gives venues a deep understanding at an individual level so they can target promotions to specific individuals or segments based on specific characteristics.

Systems integrate different data points from multiple sources, including tvicket sales and concession purchases. By knowing, for example, that a particular customer buys tickets for particular days, makes food purchases at particular times, spends a specific amount of money, has personal food and beverage preferences, venues can make target sales offers, even to food booths they don’t usually visit.

“If they get a discount on a beverage, they may also be inspired to order a food item, such as nachos. This drives incremental sales per cap. Not only can this boost sales, but it can also help manage throughput and capacity, which can help improve sales at underperforming locations and overall speed of service.”

Liz Noe, Resident District Manager, Capital One Arena

Mobile Food Ordering

Today, more than ever before, having the ability to order food from our phones is not just appreciated but expected. Providing this technology on-site at venues means that visitors can get what they want to eat and drink without waiting in long lines to order, pay, get their food and drinks, and get back to the event.

“We have the systems in place to intake customers’ orders, prepare the food and beverages, and let them know their order is ready for pickup. They just walk up, scan the screen to let us know they’re here, and pick up their order. It’s a completely frictionless experience. We’re saving about $5,000 or 30% per game just in labor. People who use it love it.”

Vincent Vazquez, Aramark General Manager, Citi Field

Venue dining technology innovations recently debuted by Aramark:

Zoom Food

Concourse-located, cashless kiosks that allow fans to self-order and then pick up their food and drink at designated pick-up areas.

Sip & Soar

Similar to airline carts, this cocktail concept features bartenders who move throughout the stadium and concoct craft cocktails on the spot.

Tuk Tuk

These are three-wheeled electric vehicles with different concepts, including a cookie and ice cream concept called Jane Dough.

Results You Can Expect from Innovative Foodservice Technology Deployments

Boost customer satisfaction — Foodservice technologies enable concessions to operate faster and smoother, which drives better guest experiences.

Expand profits — Happy fans are likely to spend more on food and beverages at events, and top-line growth in guest service means a more robust bottom line.

Reduce staff in a tight market — Labor is expensive and no longer consistent. Removing this barrier provides dependable service and lowers labor costs.

Gain tech-savvy image — Deploying leading-edge technologies puts venues on the cutting edge, where fans see them as leaders in customer service.

Ready to Improve Your Tech Game? Contact Aramark today.

Aramark is at the forefront of tech solutions for entertainment venues. As a result, you gain a dining services partner with boots on the ground experience, real-world success and a wide-ranging foodservice knowledge base.

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