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KI Food Service Ideas


IndyGuy4KI
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Opening day I grabbed like 10 cups of water since I dressed for the forecasted 67 degrees, not 83. I wasn't questioned. Isn't it a law to give out free water?

No. Not in Ohio.

Terp, who is not engaged in the private practice of law in Ohio, Maryland, the District of Columbia or any United State. There is no legal advice intended for a particular client herein. Consult a competent attorney in the relevant jurisdiction if you have, or think you may have, a legal problem. Water law is a specialty of practice, yet different than here. This is a disclaimer.

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^ Guests suffering from heat exhaustion certainly aren't having their best day ever.

 

On particularly hot days in past seasons, KI food stands have preemptively filled Kinzel cups by the dozen. Ride operators have encouraged guests to go drink one after riding.

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^ I received free Kinzel cups of water on Opening Day. (Albeit not as many as I would have liked, given the 60min+ food lines.)

 

Perhaps that stand was out of those, and they tried to sell you a big cup? This has happened to me at times in previous seasons; I was simply directed to another stand.

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So because of this past few posts I went and read up on free water protocol ( not to be confused with the Frazier Free Water Protocol). Evidently in the UK it is a law that if a place sells booze they must offer free water....

And in the US... Restaurants must have water that can be used for cleaning or consuming but are free to charge what they want.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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^ I received free Kinzel cups of water on Opening Day. (Albeit not as many as I would have liked, given the 60min+ food lines.)

Perhaps that stand was out of those, and they tried to sell you a big cup? This has happened to me at times in previous seasons; I was simply directed to another stand.

Haha I remember last year when I had bought a band (that didn't exist) for the free unlimited drinks I asked for a big cup of water. He said he couldn't do it but I could get a big pop then have it refilled with water. I asked if he could ring me up for the pop (which was free because of the band) but not pour it and instead fill it with water.... He did but man oh man.
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^ I received free Kinzel cups of water on Opening Day. (Albeit not as many as I would have liked, given the 60min+ food lines.)

 

Perhaps that stand was out of those, and they tried to sell you a big cup? This has happened to me at times in previous seasons; I was simply directed to another stand.

The associate grabbed a regular size cup when I said I wanted a water. He said, "your total is $4.13." Dumbfounded, I said what for, he replied "the water." To which I replied "no thanks." 

They promptly dumped the cup and threw it away. Really? I then asked if they had water for free and they gave me the Kinzel cup. 

I believe on the menu boards, they have the regular soda options up there with the price of sizes of those, they also have the Dasani bottle deal up there. However they don't have a picture or any note of tap water. So why would a regular tap water be $4.13? If they're going to charge for water in those cups...those should be on the board in my opinion.

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If they're gonna give water in those cups and charge for it. They should at least make it like a dollar or something. Not 4 bucks. Just ask for 10 free waters. It's more money they're loosing giving out a bunch of little cups compared to one large cup.

 

I honestly thought about asking for that many cups, but I didn't feel like carrying them all to my table. 

 

If I was forced to pay for tap water at an establishment, I'd be much less likely to patronize it. One of the (many) reasons why I don't have plans to visit Canada's Wonderland. Dehydration shouldn't be monetized.

There definitely were a lot of water fountains around from what I remember.....not terrible. There is more shade than Kings Island.

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^ I received free Kinzel cups of water on Opening Day. (Albeit not as many as I would have liked, given the 60min+ food lines.)

Perhaps that stand was out of those, and they tried to sell you a big cup? This has happened to me at times in previous seasons; I was simply directed to another stand.

Haha I remember last year when I had bought a band (that didn't exist) for the free unlimited drinks I asked for a big cup of water. He said he couldn't do it but I could get a big pop then have it refilled with water. I asked if he could ring me up for the pop (which was free because of the band) but not pour it and instead fill it with water.... He did but man oh man.

 

 

That is so odd! I wonder if the person was new or just never dealt with someone asking for water instead of pop? When I've chaperoned camp trips, we have a rule that the campers have to alternate a pop with water. Our group never had any challenges with getting the large cups of water. The servers sometimes look a bit confused as to why we would get water, but they never denied us. 

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^ Guests suffering from heat exhaustion certainly aren't having their best day ever.

On particularly hot days in past seasons, KI food stands have preemptively filled Kinzel cups by the dozen. Ride operators have encouraged guests to go drink one after riding.

I remember one year I think it was either 2010 or 11 I was a supervisor at graeters and street pizza and it the power went out on the 4th of July. Me and the other supervisor plus the supervisor of cinnabon all walked thousands of cups of water up and down international street for hours to make sure everyone around us stayed hydrated. Probably one of my fondest memories of my ki career.

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I did notice a certain Executive Chef, accompanied by people in business attire, closely watching the lengthy lines at Festhaus (pizza side) and Rivertown Potato Works on Saturday...none of them looked pleased at all. I think perhaps they know??

I actually talked to Chef Nathan today. (Great guy - say hi to him when you see him!) I've spoken to him and a few others about the food lines.
I do know a few Executive Chef's in real life and was super impressed that he was focused on Front of House as well as Back of House. It did resound to me that he was taking the time to observe the lines. This means they are at least going to attempt to do something.

Chef Nate is a nice guy and personable.

I have met and spoke with him many times.

I know many people that are nice and personable but don't understand or know what they are doing.

And that is all I will say about that...

I don't think this is the thread to be throwing personal jabs in...
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  • 3 weeks later...

Was at the park today and the issue with food, each time was the cashier.  Very short lines for food, but the cashiers were extremely slow.  This is a switch from the usual of unmotivated back line employees.

 

The park did pull a HW/KK, however.  Except is wasn't rides.  Many food places were closed all day, and by 7pm, almost all food places were closed.

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Was at the park today and the issue with food, each time was the cashier. Very short lines for food, but the cashiers were extremely slow. This is a switch from the usual of unmotivated back line employees.

The park did pull a HW/KK, however. Except is wasn't rides. Many food places were closed all day, and by 7pm, almost all food places were closed.

This happens frequently on rainy days. It's the same as any small retail business if your stand or location Isn't making enough money to pay your employees why should you stay open? Didn't happen a whole lot when I was there but on slow rainy days depending on your location you would probably close early. I can remember having to pay very close attention to how much money we were making and send people home early if needed just to stay open. My first year as a supervisor I was placed at graeters and on one very slow rainy evening I was by myself because they didn't want to close early it's never fun working by yourself.

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It wasn't a rainy day.  It was actually a perfect day.  Warm sunshine, some clouds, high 60's.  6 other oncology RNs in my group had an incredible time and got to blow off some steam from cancer care.

 

And I get planning for profits.  But I don't get the third season of terrible speed of service in food.  Maybe I hit the timing right at Carowinds earlier this year, but they did not have the problem.  I'll see how it is is at Cedar Point later today.  ;)

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Food quality was good at Cedar Point (except for the "side salad"--which was two pieces of sandwich lettuce, three cherry tomatoes and about a cup of shredded cheese!).  Cashier service was slow, however.  It seems like the cash registers are from 1983, and the cashier has to press about 8 buttons for each item, and the scanners seem awkward.

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Made it to KI much later than I had planned.  I did check to see if I could use my meal plan and it was indicated that I could, even though I had used it twice at Cedar Point.  Of note:  At CP, the waitress at Johnny Rocket's tried to charge me .25 for using my refill cup.  She said. "That's what it rang up as."  I said, free is free, maybe your register is mistaken.

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Just think of all the quarters collected from those not heedful.

In the Kinzel days, it was nickels or so. Now, it's quarters. Or, as in the recently cited LaRosa's case, charging for combos AND for the already included soft drink.

Poor training? Bad register programming? Conscious strategy?

The mind boggles.

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I seem to be the only one on this forum that complains lol about the line cutters at the food places bypassing those in line just to refill their cup and creates a bottleneck - I have posts back two years stating this.  I have also posted I have seen an improvement in this area as the season has gone on.  To date, I have seen the following improvements:

 

  • Chicken Shack has the exit doors locked to prevent folks from entering the exit to fill their drink.
  • I-Street LaRosa's added a queue line and an additional cash register that creates a "wall" making it harder for those to enter thru the exit.
  • I have seen the cashier at Chicken Shack, Hank's, and LaRosa's stop someone coming thru the exit simply to fill a drink and inform them to get in line or go to a drink only stand.

 

Unfortunately, today at Subway, I was the only one in line and while my sub was being made, 8 people jumped past me to the cashier simply to get a drink refill, so my finished sub sat while these jumpers filled their drink.  5 minutes later, I had my sub.

 

I know this doesn't seem like a big deal to many that probably wonder why I complain, but I have seen how this really slows the line down because you would then have people with food in hand that would have been able to be processed out had a large group of drink fillers not jumped around them.

 

As people realize and use the drink refill stations, this should improve the food lines overall.

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