Attracting customers to your concession stand is like campaigning for president. You have to influence people at the right time. But instead of happening once every four years, a concession election occurs every time a customer enters your facility.
Through her experiences in the theatre business, Kathi Gillman, director of concessions and promotions for Texas-based Silver Cinemas/Landmark Theatres, has found two key elements of success – using local suppliers and building a team atmosphere.
Silver Cinemas runs 10 first-run and 40 discount theatres while Landmark Theatres has 50 art house locations. Combined, they have 505 screens in 19 states.
Local Appeal
At Landmark Theatres, Gillman uses regional brands for the cookies, pastries and specialty items. For example, theatres in Massachusetts offer Lizzy’s Ice Cream, an upscale local treat, and Seattle’s Best coffees are a staple in Seattle, Denver and Los Angeles theatres. The local items are supported by signage on the menu board and countertops.
Seattle’s Best goes a step beyond and provides coffee-making equipment and on-site training whenever a manager requests it. To help attract customer attention, the vendor supplies quality wood poles with attractive flags and coordinates sample taste tests in the lobby.
Silver Cinemas uses team-selling as a successful technique for bringing customers to the concession stand. Once a year the company runs a contest for a combo pack and sets a team sales goal for each location. For example, they may send plastic refill cups to a location and offer one level of prize to each employee if 75 percent of the cups are sold, and a better prize if 85 percent of the cups are sold.
"This contest has the added benefit of promoting team spirit," says Gillman. "It encourages everyone to work together – the box office person hands out a flyer, the ticket taker reminds people about the combo, the projectionist runs an advertising slide on the screen and the counter person provides excellent service."
Another person using creativity to boost their bottom line is Tim Tenon, who is responsible for all 14 foodservice operations at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa.
At campus football games he advertises special promotions on ticket stubs, like an offer for free popcorn when a hot dog and soda are purchased. Occasionally he works with vendors such as Coca-Cola or Minute Maid to help offset the cost of the advertising or negotiate reduced prices on the products being promoted.
Bring Your Message to the People
Taking a cue from the success of big trade shows, Tenon has conducted a mini-food show twice a year for the past two years. Held in March and September, the food show offers free samples of vendor products for students and the campus community.
"We’ve had a positive reaction from these shows," notes Tenon. "They helped increase traffic at our foodservice locations and improve customer satisfaction."
Another innovative business-building activity was the first non-alcoholic nightclub party held on campus in January. Featuring bands and DJs along with appetizers and "mocktails," the party was created as an evening alternative so students wouldn’t have to go off campus. Admission was free, but students paid for food and beverages.
Promoted through teasers in school publications and posters around the campus, the event "far exceeded goals for attendance. There was a line outside – just like at a real nightclub," says Tenon.
Taking a page out of the "keep it fresh" book, Jonelle McDonald, concession manager with Ozark Foodservice, a division of Coca Cola Dr Pepper Bottling Company, makes sure to add a new product each year. This generates excitement among customers at academic special events and local parks and recreations. Ozark runs the concessions at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, as well as several other venues.
For the 1999-2000 season, Ozark added Macho Nachos, a hearty snack with chili and salsa, and frozen carbonated Pepsi Freeze and Mountain Dew Freeze drinks.
"We moved the Freeze machines from behind the counter into the lobby of the area and nearly tripled sales," says McDonald. "Customers can’t miss them and sales are going very well."
Mobile carts are another way to make sure that your customers have additional food outlets to purchase from. These mobile carts are cost-effective ways to add specialty items and encourage impulse purchases. The University of Notre Dame uses mobile carts for products like Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and soft pretzels.
Mingle with Constituents
Although she does use signage, McDonald likes to stir up sales by bringing the products to the people. She has a few employees walk around arenas or football fields eating nachos or funnel cakes so potential customers can see and smell the offerings. When employees eat popular food items while mingling with the crowds, the products practically "sell themselves," according to McDonald.
"One of the best things we’ve ever done is establish a pre-game Food Court," says McDonald. "We open an hour and a half before the game and offer a variety of items. People don’t have to rush and eat before coming to a game – they can come early, get a good parking spot and eat right here. It is so popular people often have to wait for a table. Best of all, the Food Court has not taken away from game sales, but has actually made people more familiar with our concession items."
At the Kiel Center in St. Louis, stands are also opened early to facilitate sales. In addition, 14th & Clark, a new bar and restaurant located on the main concourse is open to all ticket holders to encourage guests to come early and stay late on event days.
Just like any good political campaign, successful concession marketing relies on using creativity to reach the people who can make you popular and show their support.