Why do we need to overcharge for food at the races? (1 Viewer)

[Bill]

We went to Rt. 66 yesterday for qualifying. For those of you have never been there before, the facility is 1st class, clean bathrooms, nice grandstands, etc.

Anyway, I was with a group who can afford to pay but what bothers me is motorsports is generally a blue collar sport. This is the group who generally gets left behind at pay raise time, the first to get laid off, but the most loyal of fans.

What I noticed was very few young fans, it may have been because it's a school day but I can't think of many enthusiasts who wouldn't think twice of pulling his kid out of school for the travelling circus that comes to town once a year.

But when you drop $42 for a ticket, $4 for a Coke, $6 for a Lemon Shakeup, $7 for a cup of beer, $7 for a sandwich, it becomes unaffordable to bring the family to an event. I watched a family with three young fans share a $4 Coke with the children as well as a $5 hot dog.

What bothers me is several of the groups selling are local charities who would be happy to sell you a $2 glass of beer and take the profits but I'm assumng there are bound by contract to sell at a pre-determined price point probably set by the track or NHRA.

Am I the only one who thinks prices are out of whack?

 

[yoda]

I went to Bump Day at Indy a couple of weeks ago- got in a cab and just rolled out to the speedway, expecting to drop $40-50 to watch the last qualifying day. Imagine my complete surprise when the gate fee was only 10 bucks, with access to both GA and the Infield... Lemonaid was 5 bucks and a really horrible hot dog was too, but the admission fee at the end of the day made me feel like I had gotten a great bargain and a nice day of entertainment- top names were on the track from the moment I walked in to the last lap of the day. Not just 2 sessions.

 

[HEMI6point1]

They charge that much because they know you're there and have no real choice in the matter. Sad but true.

 

[Jeff]

Not that Indy is rolling in the dough, but that vendor gets to set up in one spot for a month of activity, the economics of the deal largely relate to the number of customers served from a single location.

Go to a movie theater and see what you pay. Oops, the studios don't get a cut of the vending.

I'd love to sell you the vendor rights and see what you charge. Trust me that nobody is rolling in money.

OK, and then when have venues like Augusta National where the food charge doesn't cover the direct cost. This is what everybody who failed Economics 101 wants to see as the norm. These guys are rolling in it . . . but it is the quality of the product they present that makes the TV rights pay most of the bill.

Go see an event in Jerry Jones house in Dallas sometime. It's been a few months but I think a glass of wine was $21, coke $12, popcorn $14.

You just need to thank God that Barack is not running the concession . . . yet . . .

 

[nwspeedshots]

My memory isn't what it once was, but it seems to me that it's always been that way. I bring a sandwich.

 

[BF]

I went to Bump Day at Indy a couple of weeks ago- got in a cab and just rolled out to the speedway, expecting to drop $40-50 to watch the last qualifying day. Imagine my complete surprise when the gate fee was only 10 bucks, with access to both GA and the Infield... Lemonaid was 5 bucks and a really horrible hot dog was too, but the admission fee at the end of the day made me feel like I had gotten a great bargain and a nice day of entertainment- top names were on the track from the moment I walked in to the last lap of the day. Not just 2 sessions.

Great thing about INDY though is you can come prepared. You don't have to buy anything there food wise if you don't want to. You can bring in anything as long as it isn't in glass. Most tracks don't offer this luxury.

 

[mick]

vendor fees plus the % of gross taken directly influence steep prices for food and beverage; don't care where you're at.....county fair / baseball game /
drag race / etc.

$10 for bump day - wow, that's great.

 

[jackass]

I know some tracks make most of their money from the consessions.... at most types of motorsports events.... i do know that most of the charities/civic groups that run a food booth are set up but the facilities to run them for a percentage of the sales..... charity or group makes money and the tracks save on pay for workers....


for years as kid i worked the oval track here with the Lions Club and a couple other groups under thsoe terms.... i belonged to none of them.... i did it to get in for free an catch some of the racing action.....lol



Billy

 

[d'kid]

Overcharge? Don't think so. Make a net profit in the 30% range, if they are lucky, I hope so....

Food and Drink pricing at VMP are in line with any sports venue in the area. Better than the Local AAA ball park in downtown Norfolk.

Allotted myself $30 a day food and drink. Slider or tube steak for lunch, with a side, Powerade to drink, or coffee... Never drink beer out doors on a sunny day, alky dehydrates you, so you end up more thirsty, so you drink more beer...

d'kid

 

[mw6789]

Not that Indy is rolling in the dough, but that vendor gets to set up in one spot for a month of activity, the economics of the deal largely relate to the number of customers served from a single location.

Go to a movie theater and see what you pay. Oops, the studios don't get a cut of the vending.

I'd love to sell you the vendor rights and see what you charge. Trust me that nobody is rolling in money.

OK, and then when have venues like Augusta National where the food charge doesn't cover the direct cost. This is what everybody who failed Economics 101 wants to see as the norm. These guys are rolling in it . . . but it is the quality of the product they present that makes the TV rights pay most of the bill.

Go see an event in Jerry Jones house in Dallas sometime. It's been a few months but I think a glass of wine was $21, coke $12, popcorn $14.

You just need to thank God that Barack is not running the concession . . . yet . . .

2 beers, 2 hot dogs, and a shared order of nachos at Cowboy's Stadium during the U of A--Texas A & M football game----$37. Fortunately the $300 each tickets were given to us by wife's employer. At least I will admit the drinks were cold and the food was of good quality. A margarita was $14---but hey, you got a genuine plastic glass with the Cowboy star emblazened across the glass that you could take home as a collectible. Hell of a deal. I absolutely refuse to buy the overpriced crap at the race track. Always make sure I have a cooler or am there with somebody that does.

 

[e-town iceyman]

any big event weather it be a concert, sporting event, or drag race has vendors that pay a hefty % to sell. this is what we do for a living. for small events ill charge 3$ for an ice cream cone with sprinkles. but any big eveny usually we have to pay 35% back to the promoter. so i then charge 4 to 5$ for a cone just to make up my difference. being on both sides of the fence i see why everything is so jacked up but theres always someone with there hand out waiting for there cut

 

[BaldyLochs]

I more or less expect it anymore, whether it's a race track, hockey arena, football stadium - whatever the case. So I guess you could say I budget for it - it's just part of going as far as I'm concerned. But what cheeses me though is when you DO pay the higher prices and you get your food and it completley sucks. Cold, overcooked, soggy buns, a 3 inch head on your beer, etc, etc.
I can deal with the whole "OK you're in the gates - we know you have to eat" situation.......but atleast give me something in return for that little extra I'm paying.

 

[G'ginna]

I don't know if you recall a thread that discussed the costs of a hospitality trailer to the teams. I can only imagine that food vendors also pay a price to do business.

 

[SundayNiagara]

NHRA gets a cut of everything!

 

[I was NITRO BREATH]

They charge that much because they know you're there and have no real choice in the matter. Sad but true.

you have a choice... bring your own food and drink. I do not only because of price but because the food sucks

 

[The Counterfeiter]

Great thing about INDY though is you can come prepared. You don't have to buy anything there food wise if you don't want to. You can bring in anything as long as it isn't in glass. Most tracks don't offer this luxury.

Exactly! We walk from our hotel to IMS on raceday. Picked up KFC on the way and were able to bring in six coolers (no bigger than 14") with beer and wine.
Box seats in row 20 directly in front of the scoring pylon - $85 each. Total food and beverage cost for seven people - $0. And . . . if you go for qualifying, a Bronze Pass ($100) gets you entry and access to Gasoline Alley every day for the entire two weeks. Try getting treated like that at a NASCAR or NHRA race! Other series could learn a lot by observing how fans are treated at IMS.

Barry - sorry I missed your call on Saturday. We had a large group and I got dragged off to the freakin' parade instead of doing NHRA shop tours! -

 

[clwill]

NHRA gets a cut of everything!

Don't think so. As I understand it, NHRA takes a good chunk of the gate, and that means the track has to make it somewhere. So they take a chunk of the concessions.

Keep in mind that the circus comes to town but once (for most of the tracks) and they have to make it when they can.

 

[BF]

Barry - sorry I missed your call on Saturday. We had a large group and I got dragged off to the freakin' parade instead of doing NHRA shop tours! -

No problem. I figured you must have been doing something else. They should try from 12-4 with the open house and see if there is any difference. Lots of people at that parade. From your seat description, you may be in the backround of some of my pictures.

 

[rocketman]

I agree high prices and greed will get a promoter no where.

 

[vegasnitro]

And . . . if you go for qualifying, a Bronze Pass ($100) gets you entry and access to Gasoline Alley every day for the entire two weeks. Try getting treated like that at a NASCAR or NHRA race! Other series could learn a lot by observing how fans are treated at IMS.

IMS treats folks this way now because they HAVE TO. It wasn't this way 15 years ago when the 500 mattered. They now have no fans ... so there is value there if you choose to go.