Sharks Fans Enjoy Messy Foodstuff At Home Games
Matthew Adamski for SBS
The sale of food and drink at the Tank provides the Sharks with a substantial amount of revenue because these food items are priced much higher than those sold in stores and fast food restaurants. However, most fans buy food and drinks at games even though they know they are paying a higher price.
A popular food item sold at the arena is the Fresh Popped Popcorn. The only problem with selling popcorn at games is that it makes it easy for people to make a mess. Usually spectators drop popcorn on the ground in front of their seat and leave it there when the game ends.
I went to a Sharks home game last week. After the game had finished I saw a lot of popcorn, plastic cups and boxes and various other kinds of debris left on the floor in the section of boxed seats where I sat.
It is quite apparent that making money is a higher priority for Sharks and arena officials than keeping the arena clean. It seems like the messiest foods are the most popular. Most of the food items sold at HP Pavilion are messy in nature. Fresh popped popcorn, salted peanuts in the shell, potato chips, grande nachos, slapshot burritos, ice cream bars and drumsticks, and chocolate chip cookie sandwiches are a few examples of messy food items sold at games. All of these items are priced at or above $3.00 with potato chips being the cheapest and slapshot burritos, Chinese chicken salad, and turkey wrap the most expensive at $8.50 each.
The Sharks and the Tank will continue to sell these food items regardless of how untidy HP Pavilion gets just as long as fans continue to buy them at the current prices.
Fans who purchase a food item usually buy a drink to go along with their tasty yet messy chow.
It is the Tank's policy to prohibit bringing alcohol to games. This is not an action of general concern by franchise officials for Sharks fans. Rather it's simply a smart business decision on the part of the front office managers and executives.
They know that alcoholic beverages are the most popular drinks at public events especially sporting events. They also know that people would much rather bring their own drinks to the game. It's a safe bet that they would if it wasn't for the rule that prohibits them from doing so.
Since many people like to drink alcohol at games, they ultimately decide to buy a beer at the arena regardless of price because they don't have other options. Of course, this would not be the case if fans could bring a can or bottle of alcohol from home.
Beer, liquor, and wine are the three types of alcohol sold at HP Pavilion. Alcohol is not the only kind of beverage sold at the arena. The other beverages are soft drinks, bottled water, and fresh brewed coffee. Whichever beverage one chooses to buy, they should expect to pay no less than $3.50. Liquor drinks, wine, and beer in a plastic bottle are the most expensive beverages and each are priced over $8.
I think the start times for Sharks home games are ideal for maximizing revenue. Nearly all Sharks home games start at daily meal time hours. The common start time is at 7:30 in the evening while a few games start in the early afternoon. It is at these times that people are most likely to purchase food and drinks while in attendance.
The total amount of revenue accumulated at every game are quite large when one considers the capacity of the arena, the number of sellouts in a season, the percentage of fans who purchase food and drink items and the price of each item.
Fans who drive to the game spend about as much money for parking as they do for food and drink. I invite you to check back next week as I turn my attention to parking fees at HP Pavilion, a third way to obtain revenue.
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