Theme Park Industry Food Trends 2009 - IAAPA

Theme Park Industry Food 

Trends 2010

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

• It is a Customers World….. 

• Gone are the days of automatic price 

increases. Climate is still one of 

conservative spending. Savvy customers 

are increasingly well informed and actively 

using all available resources to seek 

discounts and offers. Intense promotional 

offers from the fast and fast casual dining 

segments outside the theme park industry is 

feeding this frenzy.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

• 2009 customers re-defined value as being 

more than the old quality versus price 

model. This has continued in 2010. With 

customization becoming an additional 

factor into the mix. Entertainment venues 

have embraced this concept with a myriad 

of internet offers, refill value offers and a 

return to old school product value upgrades, 

designed to maintain or increase market 

share and guest satisfaction.

VALUES AND INCENTIVES 

(Old School= Point of sale) 

• Fulfilled on park 

• Bounce Back Coupons/ Register receipts 

• Pass-holder discounts 

• Kids eat free offers 

• “Best value” promotions 

• Blue light specials promote dinner 

• 2 for 1 offers at days end

VALUES AND INCENTIVES 

(New Wave = Internet) 

• Focuses on Pre-purchasing 

• Family meals 

• All you can eat meals 

• Free meals tied to admission 

• Free drinks tied to admission 

• Bundling 

• Souvenir refill programs

Family Meals 

• Bundles 4 basic meals into one affordable 

price ie 4 burgers, fries, drinks for $29.99 

• Utilizes Burgers/Pizza and hot dogs to 

control food costs. 

• Targets price sensitive families who would 

normally drop off as a meal customer 

during difficult economic times.

Combo Meals / Wristbands and all 

you can drink Refills

All You Can Eat Meals 

• Theory is to generate the $ up front and 

manage the cost of sales later. 

• Captures multiple day parts while directing 

traffic to underutilized areas. 

• Many parks experience a large % of 

breakage…meaning that the meals are 

purchased and never used entirely.

All You Can Eat Meals 

• Utilizes excess capacity and at times can 

have time window restrictions so as to not 

interfere with regular paying guests. 

• Take out, Sharing and menu item 

restrictions are all items to manage.

Meal with Admission 

• Promotion aimed at leveraging value of a 

meal versus the traditional discount off 

admissions promotion. 

• Tickets are increasing. With $ 50.00 or 

more admission fees, it is harder to get folks 

attention unless the discount is $ 5.00 + 

• Guests receive value by eliminating meal 

costs up front…..they save more $ than a 

normal discount as meals often cost $ 10.00

Meal with Admission 

• Food teams are re-imbursed from Marketers 

a set amount which covers their food costs 

and more. 

• Breakage occurs and in some cases can 

result in a substantial profit. 

• Risk is that parks that feed a high % of folks 

may not be fully re-imbursed to cover meals 

from existing customers.

Drink Packages with Admissions 

• Used in parks where meals are not enough 

of a motivator. Same process, different 

numbers.

Bundling 

• Savvy operators have found ways to capture 

additional revenue by allowing customers to 

build onto their pre-purchased meals by 

discounting snacks, and beverage offers 

through the internet. Again, breakage 

becomes a profit generator and folks who 

pre-buy, often spend extra cash once the 

initial internet purchase is forgotten.

Souvenir refill programs 

• This category is examined in more detail 

during the second half of our presentation.

TWO NOTEWORTHY 

UMBRELLA CONCEPTS 

• Customization stations 

• Grab and go stations

Customization Stations 

• Guest feels “In Control” of the finished product 

• Increased number of choices=Increased value 

• Often Uses Self service=Labor reductions 

• Beverages are A leading focus 

• Funnel Cake’s, Salads, Yogurt and Sundae 

bars have all been successfully tested. 

• Sauces/toppings and seasonings are easy 

additions to make

Grab and Go stations 

• Expands offerings with pre-packaged items 

• Easier to maintain compelling bulk displays 

• Promotes niche’ items such as salads and 

fresh fruits. 

• Labor expense is managed with focus on 

points of sale to process guests quickly. 

• Service lines are virtually eliminated. 

• Great success in waterparks.

Best New Menu Offerings 

• Beverages 

• Snacks and Shared Walk-Aways 

• Entrees 

• Healthy/Allergen items 

• Profit Drivers through upgraded quality


Beverages 

• Frozen beverages (Slushes/Lemonades) 

• Iced coffees/Frappes 

• Fresh Fruit Juices 

• Branded Juice Smoothies 

• Signature Drinks 

• Vending stations (Cool Zones)

Best New Food Offerings 

Snacks 

• Tater Twist (Potato chips on a stick) 

• Flavored potato chips with seasonings 

• Hand cut fresh fries 

• Walk away taco, 

• Pretzel bites, Funnel cake fries, Churro fries, 

apple fries 

• Hand Twisted Pretzels

Best New Food Offerings 

Snacks 

• Cotton Candy 

• Hand Crafted Caramel Apples 

• Kettle Corn/Flavored Popcorn 

• Beaded Ice Cream Sundae shops 

• Cupcakes 

• Candies 

• Flavored Fudges


Meals/Entrees 

• Hand Battered Tenders 

• Hand Dipped Corn Dogs 

• Gourmet Burgers 

• Rice/Noodle Bowls 

• Wing Baskets w/variety of sauces 

• Wraps


Healthy Alternatives 

• Pre-packaged Salads 

• Fresh Fruit/Fruit Juices 

• Rice Bowl Entrees 

• Yogurt stations 

• Quick serve salads 

• Sweet Potato fries 

• Wraps 

• Fruit cups and packets for the kids

Upgrade The Quality 

• Artisan Breads 

• Sauces 

• Prepared in Front of Customer 

• Hand Crafted 

• Hand Dipped/Hand Battered 

• Hand Cut fresh Fries

Unlocking Hidden Revenue Drivers 

Souvenir Refill Programs - Drinks 

• Consumers Will Buy When 

Linked to a Potential Savings

Issues that PREVENT Beverage Purchases 

at Theme Parks 

Price is the biggest hurdle to beverage purchases at theme parks. However, having to carry the beverage 

around and long lines also pose significant hurdles. 

80% 

70% 

68.2% 

60% 

50% 

40% 

30% 

31.7% 

22.5% 

20% 

10% 

2.9% 2.0% 

4.3% 

3.7% 

0% 

Price 

Temp/ 

Weather 

Type of 

Souvenir Cup 

Lack of 

Availability 

Having to 

Carry It 

Around 

Long lines 

Other

Retail - Refill Strategies 

What should my Refill and Retail be? 

What is everyone else doing?


Your Retail price is directly proportionate 

to your value proposition. 

The better the “Deal”, the higher the 

Retail to guest will absorb. 

Deal has to make common sense


Seems to be 4 Basic Strategies 

High Retail – High Refill (We got’em anyway 

strategy) 

$0.99 Refills All Season Long 

Free Refills DOP, $0.99 Rest of Season 

Free Refills All Season


High Retail – High Refill


$0.99 Refills All Season Long


Free Refills DOP - $0.99 Rest of Season


Free Refills All Season Long


How Powerful Can the Right Refill Offer Be? 

Busch Gardens – 

Williamsburg 

Refill/Retail 

Adjustment 

2009 - 1.99 Refills 

2010 - $.99 Refills


How Powerful Can the Right Refill Offer Be? 

216% 

Increase in bottles sold! 

• Simplified offers 4 to 1 sku’s 

• Properly Communicated The Deal 

• 84K units to 220K units


POS 

• Souvenir Bottles are Impulse Buys 

• Properly Communicate “The Deal” 

• Touch the Guest Early and Often with 

Your Message


Communicate the Deal


Communicate the Deal


Communicate the Deal 

Fountain backs are 

Valuable Real 

Estate


Touch the Guest Early and Often 

Entrance Pre-Sell Tent


Find ways to expand Points of “Touch”

POS Layout Study

Effective POS – Evolution 

2008 2009 2010


2008


2009


2010


2008 2009 2010 

+26 +15 +23





80% 

70% 

68.2% 

60% 

50% 

40% 

30% 

31.7% 

22.5% 

20% 

10% 

2.9% 2.0% 

4.3% 

3.7% 

0% 

Price 

Temp/ 

Weather 

Type of 

Souvenir Cup 

Lack of 

Availability 

Having to 

Carry It 

Around 

Long lines 

Other


Make them Convenient to Carry


Make them Convenient to Carry 

“Take a look at the image, 

this will tell you why we 

spent the extra 7¢ to put 

handles on the bottle. 

After I took the picture 

(with approval of course) 

I explained to the guest 

why I needed to take the 

picture. The customer 

said, they bought Alien 

bottles last year and they 

were not easy to carry it 

around and they are 

appreciative we went with 

handles this year…Money 

well spent.” 

Thanks 

Everard.S - Santa Cruz 

Beach Boardwalk





80% 

70% 

68.2% 

60% 

50% 

40% 

30% 

31.7% 

22.5% 

20% 

10% 

2.9% 2.0% 

4.3% 

3.7% 

0% 

Price 

Temp/ 

Weather 

Type of 

Souvenir Cup 

Lack of 

Availability 

Having to 

Carry It 

Around 

Long lines 

Other


Shortening Lines


Shortening Lines


Shortening Lines


Shortening Lines


Shortening Lines 

1. 398,000 Guests in a 95 Operating Day Season 

2. Limited Number of Food Locations, Eager to Speed Throughput 

3. Interested in Growing the High Margin Fountain Refill Program 

4. Concerned About Cannibalizing Bottles and Cans for their Bottler Partner 

5. Concerned About Cannibalizing Snack Sales 

- 97,792 Fills Handled By the Machines in 95 Days - No Register Transactions! 

- Approximately 10% Growth in Bottles and Cans - No Cannibalization 

- Growth in Snack Sales So No Cannibalization

New Trends 

Mix it Up


ICEE Mix it Up 

• Attracts the Guest 

• Engages the Guest 

Takes a Regular Transaction 

and 

Makes it a Guest Experience


Mix it Up 

How Many People have ICEE MIU Programs?


Mix it Up 

Hershey – Went from one 

Location to 2 ($0.09 per cap 

to $0.25 per cap) 

Kennywood - $0.55 per cap 

Clementon Amusement Park - 

$1.00 per cap 

Dorney Park - $0.09 per cap 

(previous concept did $0.03 

per cap)


Signature Drinks


On Line Pre-Sales


Crew Incentives 

Prize # 1 a Custom 

Coca-Cola 6’ Surf 

Board. 

Prize # 2 a 

Custom Coca-Cola 

Mountain Bike. 

Prize #3 The Great 

Outdoors Prize with 

Coca-Cola Kayak, 

Chair and BBQ/Cooler. 

Prize #4 

iPod Nano.


Crew Incentives


Other Refill or Souvenir Opportunities


Other Refill or Souvenir Opportunities


Seasonal Opportunities


Multiple Bottle Sales 

Multiple 

Bottle Offer 

Yields 

Amazing 

Results! 

50% of guests 

participate in 

multiple bottle 

offer 

Recommend 

Four bottle 

Family offer for 

2011

Important Trend 

Menu Layout - Pictures


Menu Layout - Pictures 

Helps to visually promote food items. 

Helps Direct Guests to Your Most Profitable 

Items 

Helps Make Decision Making Process Easier 

Helps Stream Line Your Operation



Pictures on Your Menu Board Help to Visually Promote 

Food Items, and can also Direct Guests to Your Most 

Profitable Items.



Helps Stream Line Your Operation

Future Challenges 

• Master New Compelling forms of guest 

communication 

• Manage Technological advances 

• Withdrawal Plans from Discount Mentality

• Time For Questions

Additional Food Service Workshops 

• Tuesday Nov.16th 5:00-6:15 

• Food and Beverage Roundtable 

• Room 331AB (south) 

• Wednesday Nov 17th 8:30-9:45 

• Food Safety 

Room S310EF 

• Thursday Nov 18th 8:30-9:45 

• Food and Beverage Case Study Room 

S330B 

• Thursday Nov 18th 5:00-6:15 

• Improving F& B in FEC’s 

Room S330B

Theme Park Industry Food Trends 2009 - IAAPA

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