Do You Sell Fan Favorites At Your Park Or FEC?

When you run an amusement park or FEC, you can guarantee that your guests are going to get hungry! With all of the thrills, excitement, participation in your attractions, and walking around, your guests need to keep up their energy. The delicious aroma of those fan favorites spreading through the air helps encourage the appetite.?

A lot of our revenue comes from food sales. When you sell good food it creates an excellent customer service experience. However, not just any food will please your guests.? If your guests are at your park or FEC and they're having a great time, they expect that the food will be great as well. If you let them down in this area you run the risk of losing the guests to a competitor with better quality offerings.?

You want to encourage your guests to eat at your establishment. If you serve low-quality food your guests are likely to leave your facility to find a better quality eatery. This cuts their playtime short. Some guests might make the effort to return to play after they've eaten, but others may not. It's not a risk you should take. Keeping your guests happy is essential for them to spend their time and money with you.?

Adding Fan Favorites To Your Menu

Choosing food that is pleasing to the eye and smells amazing is important. Fan favorites are a safe bet when it comes to the appetite of your guests. When you go to a carnival it’s likely that you will not be able to find a concession stand that doesn't have a long line. Why? Because it is hard to find people who don't like corn dogs, pizza, waffles & ice cream, funnel cakes, etc. The reason carnivals sell these types of foods is that they are pretty cheap to make so they generate a large profit. With a few inexpensive ingredients, you have a long list of popular menu items that people can’t get enough of.?

While the food is widely popular, the less than pleasant atmosphere at most carnivals typically doesn’t go unnoticed. It's important to offer the great food that people love but in a clean and pleasing atmosphere to enjoy it. If you go to a concession stand at a carnival you can expect that the food will be cheaper (in quality and cost) than going to a cafe-style restaurant. But what if you combined these two sides of this food and beverage spectrum??

Yes, it is possible to sell the fan favorites raising both the quality and the price to that of a cafe. You can start by using better ingredients. Not only will the food taste better but it'll give you the opportunity to raise the price of the food items justifiably. Your guests are not going to be upset with the price of the meals if the meals have been upgraded to a better quality. Be sure that your concession areas have a fresh look or a fun theme to add to the overall atmosphere. When you upgrade the customer experience your guests won't be nitpicking over paying a higher price.?

Another way to offer food with a higher price tag is to create new or seasonal items. Whether you capitalize on seasonal flavors (ie. pumpkin spice in the fall) or you try new trending flavors to give popular dishes a twist, you are providing a unique experience that maybe your competitors might not be bold enough to offer.??

Easy Options for Theme Parks and Amusement Parks

One aspect of most fan favorites is that they're convenient to eat while your guests walk around to discover the next attraction they want to try. These menu items are easy for guests to enjoy while also reducing the chance of spilling or making a mess. For instance, instead of selling taco baskets, you might consider making a walking taco available. Or, instead of sticky barbecue chicken legs/wings, you might consider grilled kabobs or other skewered food items. Easy to eat and less mess makes everyone happy and your park stays a cleaner, much more enjoyable, atmosphere.?

It’s simply a smart business move to use the cheaper, simple-to-make menu items and charge more for them. But, it must be done in a manner that the guests will not only understand but also appreciate. Providing a superior customer experience is vital to the success of the subtle changes that you make.?

07-09-22

?Tim Murphy is CEO of APX Operating Company, dba Boomers Parks, under the ownership of Cerberus private equity ($55B assets). Boomers Parks owns six family entertainment centers and two water parks with locations in California, Florida, and New Jersey.

As CEO of Boomers Parks since 2020, Tim took these eight parks from bankruptcy to profitability in just a year – in the middle of a global pandemic. When Boomers acquired these parks, they were operating at a $10 million loss. Tim transformed the customer experience and added new revenue streams to generate a 180% increase in revenue in 2021 (and on track to be a 250% increase in 2022).?

Tim launched his 35+ year career at Walt Disney World and has since served more than 150 entertainment, restaurant, and food & beverage brands across more than 10,000 locations in C-suite and senior positions.

?Additionally, Tim is a Board Director with Coney Park, Happy City, and YuKids - Family Entertainment & Amusement Parks, part of The Carlyle Group ($275B assets), a private equity firm that operates 150+ family entertainment centers and amusement parks in Latin America.?

?Tim has worked with top-tier entertainment and restaurant brands including Disney, Rebounderz Trampoline Parks, Darden Restaurants (Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, etc.), Red Lobster, Jimmy John’s, Applebee’s, Sonny’s Bar-B-Q, Denny’s, El Pollo Loco, Hardee’s, Golden Corral, and Firehouse Subs.?

Tim has overseen more than 35 purchase transactions involving over 1,200 restaurants, stores, and park locations.?With extensive experience in buying and selling businesses, handling negotiations with buyers and sellers, and creating strategic partnerships to build strong brands, Tim has facilitated deals ranging from $11 million to $350 million+.

?Tim is a member of IAAPA, CAPA, FAA, AAMA & WWA. He is a licensed commercial real estate broker in the State of Florida. Tim earned a BS/BA in Accounting from the University of Central Florida and?an MBA in Finance from Orlando College.