Food & Service Issues 2014/15 (merged)

[bluesoup]

Re: Food & Service Issues 2014/15 (merged)

Personally don't mind about a price rise so long as I can get a brew at half time without having to miss the start of the second half! Why not have a drinks only aisle at the food outlets!

 

[chris85mcfc]

How about a drinks service where you just walk up to a machine, press beer, and a pint gets poured, you pay for it and then you take it away

It's basically a similar idea to what they have now, but this would cut out the middle man

The middle man in this instance is a spotty 18 year old that doesn't know their arse from their elbow

 

[shemnel]

How about a drinks service where you just walk up to a machine, press beer, and a pint gets poured, you pay for it and then you take it away

It's basically a similar idea to what they have now, but this would cut out the middle man

The middle man in this instance is a spotty 18 year old that doesn't know their arse from their elbow

theyve had beer dispensers in some bars in Manchester since the late 90's, dispensing bottled beer

 

[TGR]

This is not a dig at JoeMercer'sWay in any way whatsoever as I am sure he wrote in absolute 100% good faith what he had heard or had been told,
but last bit I have highlighted in bold just confirms the complete load of old tosh it has all proven to be.

There was a thread on here a year or two back where assorted mods and others were keen to tell anyone who would listen how it was a certainty that the catering at City would be on a par with that at Manchester House . Purely because some dogsbody at the club had been ordered to let them into the ground in the off season, call them by their first name and allow their tongue to have the pleasure of an audience with Jamie Oliver's arsehole.

The new food is a feast for the taste buds, they proclaimed. The new liquid refreshment will be the nectar of the gods, they cried. Jamie Oliver's arsehole has assured me that when he is involved in a business it is guaranteed to be the finest business that man has ever dreamt of. And they were sent forth with this message to publicise the good news to the masses. Jamie, cried many, even passed me a napkin himself, as they copied and pasted their posts on here to send off for entry to Hello Magazine's 'Celebrity Encounters' page. "The cheeky Cockney chappy even has two arms and legs, just like us. But, you know, in a slightly better way that allows him to write revolutionary business proposals whilst cooking and shit" we were assured.

Many others on here ventured that perhaps this was likely to be an excuse to ponce up the menu and using it as a justification for inflating prices and that, based on previous experience, the barrow boy probably wouldn't do much about the shite service either. Unfortunately, they were shouted down. "Don't you know that Jamie doesn't settle for second best. He is in it to bring high class service to the masses and to save humanity from the indignity of missing goals near halftime. Jamie didn't have the chance to look at me but Fat Nora told me this as she served me a slice of steak and ale pie in the Gerry Creaney Lounge (store cupboard). It will happen, for I am an insider and blessed with inside knowledge of the future of City's catering"

Of course, it turned out to be bollocks. But, never fear, it's still so poor that they might bin Jamie and get Ainslie to do a meet and great next June.

I rememeber that thread mate & like you say i thought it was going to be Manchester House,the french & the abode all rolled into one the way some were making out
And in the end a fucking Damp Squib

Heres the thread its a pretty funny read now
<a class="postlink-local" href="http://forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=287846&hilit=million" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">viewtopic.php?f=1&t=287846&hilit=million</a>

Looking at getting more people in early to reduce half-time rushes as people will have eaten pre-match. Also looking at app's to tell you where the least busiest kiosks are near you, also looking at putting people near the bottom of stairwells to sell you stuff at a different point of entry so that there's less demand on the kiosks and possibly the ability to pre-order your food and drinks, probably a similar system to the theatre.

With the wider concourses they are looking to build with seating areas and better kiosks the whole deal will be vastly improved in the next few seasons.

I know I am a bitter, cynical, twisted, old moaning bugger (and that's how I like it!) but the idea of pre-ordering via an App has fucking 'disaster' written all over it. Also just because I have 'eaten pre-match' why will I not want a pint at half time? Why not just do the basics but do them well? Have multi-pint dispensers, have plenty of staff, have plenty of change, have stocks of the popular food items, have helpful, capable staff, give excellent customer service etc etc?

Yhp. They have hired 1,300 staff out of a pool of applicants who will not only be trained but be brought into the same ethos that Jamie uses with his staff at all his restaurants that creates good service and incentives to encourage them to work efficiently and be passionate about what they do, they're including them in this whole process. The staff will be more efficient, keener to do the job and will know what's on offer[/u], have tasted it and know how to describe it. The swipe cards/e-cards will reduce the need to use the cash tills as it will I think debit the money off the card. Each kiosk will have electronic monitors that will record the quantity of each item sold at a kiosk so they know exactly which kiosk needs what and what sells the most in that area so they can increase the quantity of that product. Multi-pint dispensers will be one of a number of measures implemented at bars and it's all aimed at quick, speedy service. They have ideas they want to trial as well and realise there will be mistakes and maybe a few teething problems but they will have people walking around the concourses for feedback and they will act on it. They've spent a year planning all these changes.

 

[Carl_Man_City]

Took me 30 seconds to get a beer at Newcastle away, takes 10 minutes at any home game. It's a joke how long getting a pint takes don't bother most of the time at half time now and come in the ground late enough that I don't have time for one pre-game. Never eat at the ground now either mainly because of the service. Expect high prices at sporting events now however, if you're paying those prices you expect quick and efficient service which isn't the case at City.

Lancs CC at their bar have lots of 8 pint multi-pourers, even in a big queue you get your beer in less than 5 mins. Don't understand how far behind City are in the food and drink department.

 

[jrb]

I may have started the said thread? But if I didn't, I certainly contributed to it. I don't hide behind my posts.

I was one of the people invited by the club to that event. I went with an open mind, and I'm certainly not up the club's arse, or the arse of anyone who works at the club. I have met people high up who work for City, but I don't name drop, or pretend I'm in anyway important because of who I've met and spoken to at City. That aside, I haven't been invited back to the club in any capacity since, so I must have done something wrong. ;-)

As I've already stated, I went to that event with an open mind. Good or bad, I would have posted it on here. Of course we were given the full fanfare.(excuse the pun) We were treated like Kings and Queens for a couple of hours, and nothing was too much trouble for the club or Fanfare.

The food that was brought out was excellent. And yes, it was always going to be. There wasn't a chance in hell that the food wouldn't look or taste good. 1st reviews are makers or breakers in most cases, so they had to get it right, even catering for a handful of people. On a personal level I ate the first burger in full, and part of the Hot Dog which followed. After that I didn't have anything else, even though the food came thick and fast. After the tasting was over Jamie Oliver did his speech, so did a representative from Legends Hospitality, and finally one of he club officials responsible for the catering at City. After that was over we got together and had a question and answer session with Jamie Oliver, Legends Hospitality, and the club officials.

I'm the ugly b****** in the picture. ;-)

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.mcfc.co.uk/news/club-news/2013/july/fabulous-fan-fayre" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.mcfc.co.uk/news/club-news/20 ... -fan-fayre</a>

During that question and answer session numerous things were put forward to the club, Jamie Oliver, and Legends. TBH it wasn't anything they didn't already know, but they listened, responded, and played along.

We stated that the quality and appearance of the food had to stay the same, regardless of the demand. We questioned the increases in prices. We were assured they would be minimal, and they reflected the better ingredients used in the food. We mentioned time and again about poor service, not enough staff, etc, etc. We were assured extra staff would be taken on and trained. We discussed numerous ideas to try and improve service, paying etc. Yes it was a talking shop, but it felt like we touched on a lot of issues that still haven't been addressed properly by the club.(there you go I've admitted it)

What I reported back from the event was the truth, and nothing more. The food was good, the questions we asked were noted and would be addressed, and the overall feeling was that City and Fanfayre were upping the anti as regards food and service on matchdays. That's what came across, rightly or wrongly.

The event aside. Whether people agree with me or not, the food has improved since the previous incumbents were replaced by Fanfayre. Others may disagree? That's fair enough. Once again from a personal point of view, there are more staff at the bars, and in general they are better trained than those who worked for the previous incumbents. That aside, there are still plenty of issues to be resolved. Have City and Fanayre done enough? Probably not. Are they still trying? Yes they probably are, but they need to do much more.

 

[blingy]

QJacker launches soon.

It's almost certainly going to be a massive failure......

Tell me more...

Qjacker ...

<a class="postlink" href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB2J-Eq24PY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB2J-Eq24PY</a>

Quite amusing and looks to be done at etihad ..

Sorry if already posted

 

[jrb]

QJacker launches soon.

It's almost certainly going to be a massive failure......

Tell me more...

Qjacker ...

<a class="postlink" href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB2J-Eq24PY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB2J-Eq24PY</a>

Quite amusing and looks to be done at etihad ..

Sorry if already posted

Good find.

I, quite amusing.

The worst case scenario being, the majority will Qjack, and everyone will have to queue up. :-?

 

[chris85mcfc]

Perhaps Jamie, or some of his team, should turn up on matchday and get a real experience of the task that is ahead for them

I can't imagine he has ever had to deal with thousands of fans that all want food and drink at the same time in a 15 minute window

 

[jrb]

Perhaps Jamie, or some of his team, should turn up on matchday and get a real experience of the task that is ahead for them

I can't imagine he has ever had to deal with thousands of fans that all want food and drink at the same time in a 15 minute window

Isn't that the real problem?

Trying to serve 1000's of fans in a 15 minute window to a satisfactory level is pretty much impossible, regardless of the provisions you put in place. And by saying that, I'm not making excuses for City. Go to any event, be it sporting, a concert, the Christmas Markets, etc, and you will always end up queuing and waiting to be served. And that's without the 15minute window.

 

[fathellensbellend]

the day i pay 7 quid for one of their burgers and a few scabby chips is the day i want my head testing.

all the prices have increased, not at inflation rates, but nice round figures of 50p and a pound.

they obviously sell enough to make it worthwhile, but if they think has a family i am going to part with 15-30 quid for the crap they dish up they will have a long wait.

sensible pricing and i will part with some money, 3 quid for about 20 scabby fries isn't innovative or enticing.

 

[chris85mcfc]

Perhaps Jamie, or some of his team, should turn up on matchday and get a real experience of the task that is ahead for them

I can't imagine he has ever had to deal with thousands of fans that all want food and drink at the same time in a 15 minute window

Isn't that the real problem?

Trying to serve 1000's of fans in a 15 minute window to a satisfactory level is pretty much impossible, regardless of the provisions you put in place. And by saying that, I'm not making excuses for City. Go to any event, be it sporting, a concert, the Christmas Markets, etc, and you will always end up queuing and waiting to be served. And that's without the 15minute window.

They can only make provisions as best they can, it is almost impossible to serve quickly in such a short time slot.

I do think that having basics like a multi-pump is a start tho?

And then the next step could be to ensure they have enough food stock, even if it results in wastage. Might sound pedantic but if someone gets to the front and asks for a Balti pie and there aren't any, the person then has to rethink and look over the menu again resulting in more time waiting for other customers.

The best way to resolve it is just don't buy the food and drink in the ground. Again it might sound pedantic but I don't see how someone can moan about having to queue up for 15 minutes to then find out that what they want is out of stock, but then they will go and queue again the week later.

You know what service you are going to get, its going to be average. So instead of people moaning just drink and eat outside the ground instead.

Personally I don't spend any money in the ground, can't get my head around why people rush to queue up for a beer or a pie and then spend the next week moaning about it to then go and repeat themselves the following game.

 

[jrb]

Perhaps Jamie, or some of his team, should turn up on matchday and get a real experience of the task that is ahead for them

I can't imagine he has ever had to deal with thousands of fans that all want food and drink at the same time in a 15 minute window

Isn't that the real problem?

Trying to serve 1000's of fans in a 15 minute window to a satisfactory level is pretty much impossible, regardless of the provisions you put in place. And by saying that, I'm not making excuses for City. Go to any event, be it sporting, a concert, the Christmas Markets, etc, and you will always end up queuing and waiting to be served. And that's without the 15minute window.

They can only make provisions as best they can, it is almost impossible to serve quickly in such a short time slot.

I do think that having basics like a multi-pump is a start tho?

And then the next step could be to ensure they have enough food stock, even if it results in wastage. Might sound pedantic but if someone gets to the front and asks for a Balti pie and there aren't any, the person then has to rethink and look over the menu again resulting in more time waiting for other customers.

The best way to resolve it is just don't buy the food and drink in the ground. Again it might sound pedantic but I don't see how someone can moan about having to queue up for 15 minutes to then find out that what they want is out of stock, but then they will go and queue again the week later.

You know what service you are going to get, its going to be average. So instead of people moaning just drink and eat outside the ground instead.

Personally I don't spend any money in the ground, can't get my head around why people rush to queue up for a beer or a pie and then spend the next week moaning about it to then go and repeat themselves the following game.

Once again Chris, you make some valid points.

Ask any catering establishment/business what they don't want, and it's left over food, which = wa£te/loss.

This is a very basic example, but go to most chip shops at five to two in the Afternoon, and they will only have the odd pie or sausage left, plus a portion or two of chips. No business or fast food outlet wants to be left with peis, burgers, chips(fish), etc, at the end of the day/event. especially those that won't reheat them.(City)

TBH it's a very fine balancing act. That said, there's nothing worst than not having anything to sell. In the end People just won't bother.

 

[blingy]

Tell me more...

Qjacker ...

<a class="postlink" href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB2J-Eq24PY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB2J-Eq24PY</a>

Quite amusing and looks to be done at etihad ..

Sorry if already posted

Good find.

I, quite amusing.

The worst case scenario being, the majority will Qjack, and everyone will have to queue up. :-?

Would save a little time messing about with a till and change etc, but can't see that it will eradicate queue as we will have to queue to collect and there is the chance that we will get flat drinks and cold food as it could be sat there a while if they start prepping them straight after kick off..

 

[bluesoup]

Food & Service Issues 2014/15 (merged)

It's just about being imaginative with serving at peak times. Express tills, runners, makers, items ready to serve etc. Time is precious in fast food catering and it's just a balance with knowing or pre-empting the customer orders. Waiting for someone to open a sache of coffee to then put it in a cup, then pour water in it, then get milk and sugar out is a waste of time. Just have them ready! Simples... For alchohol just have them ready for runners to pick. If the queue gets lower just make less!!!

 

[TGR]

I may have started the said thread? But if I didn't, I certainly contributed to it. I don't hide behind my posts.

I was one of the people invited by the club to that event. I went with an open mind, and I'm certainly not up the club's arse, or the arse of anyone who works at the club. I have met people high up who work for City, but I don't name drop, or pretend I'm in anyway important because of who I've met and spoken to at City. That aside, I haven't been invited back to the club in any capacity since, so I must have done something wrong. ;-)

As I've already stated, I went to that event with an open mind. Good or bad, I would have posted it on here. Of course we were given the full fanfare.(excuse the pun) We were treated like Kings and Queens for a couple of hours, and nothing was too much trouble for the club or Fanfare.

The food that was brought out was excellent. And yes, it was always going to be. There wasn't a chance in hell that the food wouldn't look or taste good. 1st reviews are makers or breakers in most cases, so they had to get it right, even catering for a handful of people. On a personal level I ate the first burger in full, and part of the Hot Dog which followed. After that I didn't have anything else, even though the food came thick and fast. After the tasting was over Jamie Oliver did his speech, so did a representative from Legends Hospitality, and finally one of he club officials responsible for the catering at City. After that was over we got together and had a question and answer session with Jamie Oliver, Legends Hospitality, and the club officials.

I'm the ugly b****** in the picture. ;-)

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.mcfc.co.uk/news/club-news/2013/july/fabulous-fan-fayre" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.mcfc.co.uk/news/club-news/20 ... -fan-fayre</a>

During that question and answer session numerous things were put forward to the club, Jamie Oliver, and Legends. TBH it wasn't anything they didn't already know, but they listened, responded, and played along.

We stated that the quality and appearance of the food had to stay the same, regardless of the demand. We questioned the increases in prices. We were assured they would be minimal, and they reflected the better ingredients used in the food. We mentioned time and again about poor service, not enough staff, etc, etc. We were assured extra staff would be taken on and trained. We discussed numerous ideas to try and improve service, paying etc. Yes it was a talking shop, but it felt like we touched on a lot of issues that still haven't been addressed properly by the club.(there you go I've admitted it)

What I reported back from the event was the truth, and nothing more. The food was good, the questions we asked were noted and would be addressed, and the overall feeling was that City and Fanfayre were upping the anti as regards food and service on matchdays. That's what came across, rightly or wrongly.

The event aside. Whether people agree with me or not, the food has improved since the previous incumbents were replaced by Fanfayre. Others may disagree? That's fair enough. Once again from a personal point of view, there are more staff at the bars, and in general they are better trained than those who worked for the previous incumbents. That aside, there are still plenty of issues to be resolved. Have City and Fanayre done enough? Probably not. Are they still trying? Yes they probably are, but they need to do much more.

jrb:
Nobody is questioning the fact that what you posted was nothing but what you were told or led to believe. Nobody at all. It is more than clear the powers that be at the club in charge of the catering have failed to deliver what they promised by some considerable margin.

Has the quality & range of the food increased? Yes it has - no question.
Has the service improved. No it hasn't. I genuinely believe it's gone backwards. It is poor. Very poor indeed.
Have the prices increased? Yes they have. By some considerable margin.
I am sure the club are trying but we were told the club had been working on it for a year before they launched things.
It is now a year later since the launch. So after two years of working on it service wise it has gone backwards.
You have been let down and the match going fans have been let down.
Are we surprised? No we are not.
Are we disappointed? Yes. A lot.

 

[BlueBearBoots]

It's just about being imaginative with serving at peak times. Express tills, runners, makers, items ready to serve etc. Time is precious in fast food catering and it's just a balance with knowing or pre-empting the customer orders. Waiting for someone to open a sache of coffee to then put it in a cup, then pour water in it, then get milk and sugar out is a waste of time. Just have them ready! Simples... For alchohol just have them ready for runners to pick. If the queue gets lower just make less!!!

Organisation, innovation and enthusiasm is what they need. I could sort them out within a month!!

 

[malg]

It's just about being imaginative with serving at peak times. Express tills, runners, makers, items ready to serve etc. Time is precious in fast food catering and it's just a balance with knowing or pre-empting the customer orders. Waiting for someone to open a sache of coffee to then put it in a cup, then pour water in it, then get milk and sugar out is a waste of time. Just have them ready! Simples... For alchohol just have them ready for runners to pick. If the queue gets lower just make less!!!

Organisation, innovation and enthusiasm is what they need. I could sort them out within a month!!

Yep. It's not fucking rocket science. I was in the queue for beer at half time during the Liverpool game, and there are just not enough staff on. Same amount of staff, vastly overpriced product. The club can have as many focus groups as they want, and meet as many fans for a chit chat, but as with any company, they will squeeze every penny out of the fans by putting in as little as possible. For me, on this front, they are cunts.

 

[trevorriley]

Never go to the stadium hungry or you are fucked, price and portions a joke.

Can't even make coffee, has anybody from the club tasted the shite excuse for coffee ?

Then if after half time you are gagging for even water or warm drink like chocolate it's shutters down fk you !

 

[jrb]

I appreciate it's 2145/15, but nothing has changed much.

Anyway.

From the PL football thread on SSC. Discussing food, drink, service, prices.

Posted by JTS, a Spurs fan.

Spurs have just announced some new details for the new WHL. There will be a 87m (285ft) general admission bar and a system that can deliver 10,000 pints of beer per minute. There is also an on-site microbrewery (presumably separate from the 10,000 pint per minute system).
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