New Restaurant at KI and more!

[westcoaster]

Wow maybe with the new restraunt and all Rivertown will be great once again, not that it had The Beast , but truthfully it was a connector from coney to Nick,, Now maybe it will be its own area not just The Beast!!!, and Rivertown has white water canyon!

We shall see

but the buffet if you could eat there, for 15 or under may be an alternative than leaving the park if the food is high quality,,etc. I know for sure KI has more visitors surely one of these years we could get a sit down serviced restraunt?????

[The Interpreter]

A buffet in a Cedar Fair park for under $15 with service and high quality?

As I was taught in management classes many, many years ago:

High Quality, Low Cost, Excellent Customer Service

Pick any TWO. You are not going to get three. Especially not with a captive audience in the relatively high cost theme park industry, where per caps (think food and merchandise) are major contributors to the bottom line.

You are not going to get high quality food in unlimited quantities in a Cedar Fair park for under $15. It isn't going to happen.

This is one reason Terpy would much rather have a limited quantity of high quality food than unlimited quantities of stuff he wouldn't eat much, if any, of, anywhere else.

Kings Island, where else?

(Disney, Universal and Busch can and frequently do serve high quality food at similar or lower prices. It can be done in parks, but as has been noted here before, Cedar Fair (and, for the most part, Six Flags, too) apparently sees food as just that, food. Those other companies see it as an experience.)

Queue up somebody to tell us how the Reds, etc., serve similar low quality grub as Cedar Fair for similar prices, which they do. Food can draw people to a park, it can push them out to their cars, and the average park customer stays a lot longer than the observer of athletic events or movies...Does Cedar Fair want people to stay IN the park longer, and thus spend more money, or do they want them to go to their cars to eat (or worse, leave the park to go to eat), and then possibly not come back that day or later in the season.

As Thomas Ruskin said: "The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the pleasure of low price has been forgotten." This quotation was once displayed in every Baskin Robbins in the country. Poor quality at high prices (and, at best, lackadaisical service...and frequently not even that) is even worse.

[sam2cpa]

A buffet in a Cedar Fair park for under $15 with service and high quality?

As I was taught in management classes many, many years ago:

High Quality, Low Cost, Excellent Customer Service

Pick any TWO. You are not going to get three. Especially not with a captive audience in the relatively high cost theme park industry, where per caps (think food and merchandise) are major contributors to the bottom line.

You are not going to get high quality food in unlimited quantities in a Cedar Fair park for under $15. It isn't going to happen.

This is one reason Terpy would much rather have a limited quantity of high quality food than unlimited quantities of stuff he wouldn't eat much, if any, of, anywhere else.

Kings Island, where else?

(Disney, Universal and Busch can and frequently do serve high quality food at similar or lower prices. It can be done in parks, but as has been noted here before, Cedar Fair (and, for the most part, Six Flags, too) apparently sees food as just that, food. Those other companies see it as an experience.)

Queue up somebody to tell us how the Reds, etc., serve similar low quality grub as Cedar Fair for similar prices, which they do. Food can draw people to a park, it can push them out to their cars, and the average park customer stays a lot longer than the observer of athletic events or movies...Does Cedar Fair want people to stay IN the park longer, and thus spend more money, or do they want them to go to their cars to eat (or worse, leave the park to go to eat), and then possibly not come back that day or later in the season.

As Thomas Ruskin said: "The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the pleasure of low price has been forgotten." This quotation was once displayed in every Baskin Robbins in the country. Poor quality at high prices (and, at best, lackadaisical service...and frequently not even that) is even worse.

Very well said....

During one of the past Fear-Fest weekends we went to purchased a blue ice cream. They were being very generous, making the portions large enough for two share, thus only having to purchase one cone. If we ordered the ice cream in a cup, we would not have anyting to eat it with because they were 100% out of spoons. If we ordered it in a cone, by the looks of everyone else around with the same thing it would have been a total mess because it was warm out that day, and the ice cream was not frozen enough. A no win situation, but at least the worker sincerely appologized.

We opted for the ice cream in a cup and found forks at another stand nearby.

[Diamondback FOF]

Well, that kinda sucks. But. I wouldn't complain. Yeah, you had to eat ice cream with a fork, but the little bit you couldn't get out of the cup is just like the little bit that you wouldn't have recieved it the worker wasn't being generous. And you said it was a no win situation? How can you look at it like that if they were serving ice creams big enough for two to share?

[The Interpreter]

Oh, for Pete's sake. Would you be so gracious, DiamondbackFOF, it this same incident happened at Dairy Queen and not at your beloved Kings Island? Good customer service is good customer service, and bad customer service is bad customer service regardless of who the service provider is or how much you might otherwise like them. When one buys a drastically overpriced bowl of ice cream, one should EXPECT and get a spoon, regardless of whether you are buying it at Dairy Queen, Baskin-Robbins or Kings Island. Kings Island does not get a pass on food service merely because it also has awesome roller coasters. Especially not at the prices it charges.

I remember a similar incident Saturday of closing weekend. The International Street Skyline was out of all cutlery. They were operating with total disregard for getting any more, and weren't telling people they had no cutlery until AFTER they paid. I quietly walked over to the LaRosa's (something they COULD have done but did not) and brought back hands full and gave them to the other diners as well as myself, and seethed as my food had gotten cold while I did so. I knew better than to ask that my food be replaced. You see, I was at Kings Island, and knew better than to expect such a thing. Kings Island, where else?

[KIfan1980]

Well that's one post by Terpy that requires no "interpreting"

[vortexfan]

I remember a similar incident Saturday of closing weekend. The International Street Skyline was out of all cutlery. They were operating with total disregard for getting any more, and weren't telling people they had no cutlery until AFTER they paid. I quietly walked over to the LaRosa's (something they COULD have done but did not) and brought back hands full and gave them to the other diners as well as myself, and seethed as my food had gotten cold while I did so. I knew better than to ask that my food be replaced. You see, I was at Kings Island, and knew better than to expect such a thing. Kings Island, where else?

I had a similar experience at Canada's Wonderland. I bought an Icee from one of the new Mix It Up stations and the employee working there wasn't telling anyone that there were(apparently) no straws left until you had paid. My experience did end on a slightly better note, though...the park's GM (his name escapes me) was standing only a few steps away so I was able to ask him about it. He went into the back of the Mix It Up station and sure enough he emerged in about a minute with a hand full of straws. I actually feel kinda silly about it now...it was such an opportune moment to introduce myself and speak to him about the park and all I asked about was straws.

[windshawne]

Oh, for Pete's sake. Would you be so gracious, DiamondbackFOF, it this same incident happened at Dairy Queen and not at your beloved Kings Island? Good customer service is good customer service, and bad customer service is bad customer service regardless of who the service provider is or how much you might otherwise like them. When one buys a drastically overpriced bowl of ice cream, one should EXPECT and get a spoon, regardless of whether you are buying it at Dairy Queen, Baskin-Robbins or Kings Island. Kings Island does not get a pass on food service merely because it also has awesome roller coasters. Especially not at the prices it charges.

I remember a similar incident Saturday of closing weekend. The International Street Skyline was out of all cutlery. They were operating with total disregard for getting any more, and weren't telling people they had no cutlery until AFTER they paid. I quietly walked over to the LaRosa's (something they COULD have done but did not) and brought back hands full and gave them to the other diners as well as myself, and seethed as my food had gotten cold while I did so. I knew better than to ask that my food be replaced. You see, I was at Kings Island, and knew better than to expect such a thing. Kings Island, where else?

Are you s******* me? Unbelievable

[Dan]

I remember a similar incident Saturday of closing weekend. The International Street Skyline was out of all cutlery. They were operating with total disregard for getting any more, and weren't telling people they had no cutlery until AFTER they paid. I quietly walked over to the LaRosa's (something they COULD have done but did not) and brought back hands full and gave them to the other diners as well as myself, and seethed as my food had gotten cold while I did so. I knew better than to ask that my food be replaced. You see, I was at Kings Island, and knew better than to expect such a thing. Kings Island, where else?

Obviously, you didn't know better, because I'm 99% sure that if you were to ask for the manager at Street Skyline, they would have been happy to replace your food, and apologize for your inconvienence and would work on getting some utensils right away if they weren't currently doing so.

Speak up next time. A closed mouth doesn't get fed.

[Avatar]

Dan - How do you know he did not? I had a similar occurrence a few years back on a closing weekend at I-Street LaRosa in which we had purchased a family salad with our pizza. Same problem no cutlery. I seated the family and asked for some cutlery and they said they would look but may be out i looked next door at the place Cinabon is now at and they did not have any either. I went back in and was told they where out. I asked then why are they still selling salds and other items that may need cutlery, no esponse but some customers started to put items back when hearing my concerns expressed across the counter with several of the employees. I went back to the table and got the salad and asked for a refund the employee at the cash register said you mean you want your money back and i said yeah i can not eat a salad with my hands. he keep ringing up other customers 3-4, I then stood there and told him he is not ringing up another sale until I am refunded so he called over a superviser who was one i was talking to earlier he took his sweet time coming over then with out a word hit a couple keys got my money out and handed it to me. He never offered any of your thoughts on what would have been offered if I opened my mouth "they would have been happy to replace your food, and apologize for your inconvienence and would work on getting some utensils right away if they weren't currently doing so".

I was very upset probably the most upset i have ever been at KI in all the years i have been going to KI. If Interpreter said it happend then it did and knowing him he would have spoken up. I know it does happen because it happend to my family even when we did speak up.

[The Interpreter]

Besides, if Dan is 99 percent certain such a thing would have happened, that means he is not certain. I don't go to parks to get into confrontations with supervisors who are either oblivious to what their employees are obviously doing or just don't give two hoots...(did I mention the supervisor was there and watching what was going on? He was...)

Terpy, first to defend parks and their employees when they do right, but not one to hold his tongue when they don't....

[LaShatelle Fountaine]

Besides, if Dan is 99 percent certain such a thing would have happened, that means he is not certain. I don't go to parks to get into confrontations with supervisors who are either oblivious to what their employees are obviously doing or just don't give two hoots...(did I mention the supervisor was there and watching what was going on? He was...)

Terpy, first to defend parks and their employees when they do right, but not one to hold his tongue when they don't....

I don't think any of us should hold our tongues when see something wrong. We are a minority at the parks, the GP could care if a park thrives. We care to a default. I think it paticulary pains us because we spend so much time and energy to our enthusiam. I applaud you Interpreter!

[MrTools]

Not to sound clueless, but are there pictures of said resraunt, the park has been open

[paperg]

could someone tell me where the Backyard Barbeque is??? I see where they have a special starting in June for GPH... I just don't know where the place is & one of these days I may want to check it out...

[skaterboy22101]

could someone tell me where the Backyard Barbeque is??? I see where they have a special starting in June for GPH... I just don't know where the place is & one of these days I may want to check it out...

The Backyard Barbeque is in Picinic Grove, if i'm not mistaken.

[The Interpreter]

And you get to the picnic grove by going to Nick Universe and heading south towards Putz HQ and the water play structure....

[paperg]

ok, thanks... I will look around next weekend...

[Diamondback FOF]

Oh, for Pete's sake. Would you be so gracious, DiamondbackFOF, it this same incident happened at Dairy Queen and not at your beloved Kings Island? Good customer service is good customer service, and bad customer service is bad customer service regardless of who the service provider is or how much you might otherwise like them. When one buys a drastically overpriced bowl of ice cream, one should EXPECT and get a spoon, regardless of whether you are buying it at Dairy Queen, Baskin-Robbins or Kings Island. Kings Island does not get a pass on food service merely because it also has awesome roller coasters. Especially not at the prices it charges.

I remember a similar incident Saturday of closing weekend. The International Street Skyline was out of all cutlery. They were operating with total disregard for getting any more, and weren't telling people they had no cutlery until AFTER they paid. I quietly walked over to the LaRosa's (something they COULD have done but did not) and brought back hands full and gave them to the other diners as well as myself, and seethed as my food had gotten cold while I did so. I knew better than to ask that my food be replaced. You see, I was at Kings Island, and knew better than to expect such a thing. Kings Island, where else?

I know, I'm not saying Kings Island gets a pass. All I was saying was since the ice cream at KI is so overpriced and if you get enough ice cream for two, then I personally wouldn't complain too much. That is, if I was planning on buying two ice creams, since that would've saved me quite a few nickels. If I would've been planning on buying only one ice cream, or if I had to walk to walk further than the next food stand over to get eating utinsils, in this case a spoon.

As far as the incident that happened to you, I would've personally been p***ed off. You HAD to walk further than just the next restaurant over AND your food got cold. I'm sorry that your food was cold, but I hope it was still a half way decent meal.

[Ki Man]

Holiday World:

Kingle Burger Value Meal: $5.05

-Cheese Burger lettuce, tomato, onions, ect.

-Cookie

-Fries

-Free unlimited drinks

[Gabe]

Holiday World:

Kingle Burger Value Meal: $5.05

-Cheese Burger lettuce, tomato, onions, ect.

-Cookie

-Fries

-Free unlimited drinks

I don't think that's a fair comparison. HW is a small, family owned park with much less overhead then KI/CF. HW can afford to charge less for food and give away sunscreen and drinks b/c it doesn't have to worry about shareholders and debt loads and licensing rights, among other things. If anything, the comparison should be made amongst large park chains like six flags, universal and disney.

[AintNutinElse2Do]

Maybe it's just me but it seems like a smaller park would have a harder time keeping those costs passed to consumers low. While their overhead is likely less, though with all their woodies that is a huge overhead to maintain. Those smaller parks also attract a fraction of the visitors, less visitors less cash flow into the park. IMHO there is no reason KI or other large parks couldn't add some of the perks the smaller parks do. Greed is likely the reason they do not.

[westcoaster]

ok but if holiday world can do it the big guns can too!! in the amusement park business.

also:

six flags they have nice eat in restraunts with a/c !!! Kings Island people would buy if it was worth it,

Knock down the whole front of the park (entrance area) build a year round restraunt, that is not anywhere else in cincy look at the droves of people then kind of a village like knotts berry farm....

but Kings Island besides graeters, larosas, and skyline, is poor quality is horrible food, and overpriced big time:

[Gabe]

I agree that greed is the root cause for charging what they do, but a lot of it is the fact that most people won't bother to go outside the park to eat, so they are willing to pay a premium for what would cost a fraction outside the park. HW, while a small park, is a well-run and family owned establishment and has been for years. They must figure that giving away soda will entice people to pay for food they otherwise might not buy. Or, perhaps they have a deal like Disney does with Coke-i.e. Disney pays about a dollar a year for all the Coke syrup used all over the world in its parks..in exchange, Coke gets its logo on every Disney napkin and cup used in the parks..a win-win.

[The Interpreter]

I would submit that neither Will Koch, Pat Koch nor any other family member at Holiday World makes anything close to over $2 million a year. Nor have they gone on a park buying spree, financing it with debt that must be paid off or refinanced in the near term future...

[Dan]

Dan - How do you know he did not? I had a similar occurrence a few years back on a closing weekend at I-Street LaRosa in which we had purchased a family salad with our pizza. Same problem no cutlery. I seated the family and asked for some cutlery and they said they would look but may be out i looked next door at the place Cinabon is now at and they did not have any either. I went back in and was told they where out. I asked then why are they still selling salds and other items that may need cutlery, no esponse but some customers started to put items back when hearing my concerns expressed across the counter with several of the employees. I went back to the table and got the salad and asked for a refund the employee at the cash register said you mean you want your money back and i said yeah i can not eat a salad with my hands. he keep ringing up other customers 3-4, I then stood there and told him he is not ringing up another sale until I am refunded so he called over a superviser who was one i was talking to earlier he took his sweet time coming over then with out a word hit a couple keys got my money out and handed it to me. He never offered any of your thoughts on what would have been offered if I opened my mouth "they would have been happy to replace your food, and apologize for your inconvienence and would work on getting some utensils right away if they weren't currently doing so".

I was very upset probably the most upset i have ever been at KI in all the years i have been going to KI. If Interpreter said it happend then it did and knowing him he would have spoken up. I know it does happen because it happend to my family even when we did speak up.

He said in his post that he knew better than to say something. I'm sorry to hear that you had a bad experience at International Street Larosas. I fear that the Supervisor who was running the stand at the time was probably not returning the next year, and therefore on closing weekend, he or she decided that they no longer cared about their job. These types of things happen everywhere, and are usually exceptions to the rules. I wasn't trying to say that bad service never happens at Kings Island food service, but that there are people who work in Food who would go out of their way to help you and turn your bad experience into a good one, because literally that is their job. And if a supervisor isn't doing their job, and they would rather not help you with a legitimate concern, there is always guest relations. And trust me, if you go to GR, that supervisor who wasn't doing their job WILL at the very LEAST, hear about it.

[RailRider]

I still don't understand why parks dont focus on food service more. After all if you want per caps up you need to make it worth while and not forcing folks to leave the park for something else. Besides the food service mentioned at Busch, Universal, and Disney parks, how about what Dollywood offers. Absolutely the best food park I have ever been too, although the fried chicken at Opryland was in a league of its own.

Some have mentioned Holiday World and while they do a great job with cost and service, I find the quality very lacking, but like Terpy said you cannot have all 3.

[Gabe]

I'm not sure things have changed much, but the food was just ok when I worked at Disney..they served the same hamburger for 3.00 in the employee cafeteria as in the parks, only the price was 8.00. Even the food at the epcot restaurants was average at best, with the possible exception of the french rest. Rides are what bring people in, so why spend a lot of money on really upscale food when people don't expect it? I don't think it would generate that much extra income. As for the post earlier that mentioned knocking down the front plaza of KI for a year round restuarant, I doubt people will drive from miles around just to eat outside of a closed amusement park in the dead of winter. If they really wanted to provide a unique restaurant, why not renovate the now-closed lower platform of the Eiffel Tower and make that into a restaurant?

[Avatar]

Gabe I hate to do this but your description and comparison of Disney's food is a bit of a stretch for me to accept and different from other Disney employees who have posted here and else where. I appreciate your opinion but a kind as I can offer another one. First of all for most of those who have worked in a restaurant know employees get pretty much the same food as the paying customers do for a greatly reduced price. When I worked in a restaurant my daily meal was free and they charged the customers $12.99 for the same thin,. not that unusual. Second I have eaten my fair share of Hamburgers at both Disney and Kings Island, I agree a hamburger is a hamburger but if you put both down in front of me I can guarantee you I'll take the Disney one everyday of the week, not a huge difference but there is a difference.

$8.00 Hambuger at Disney – Where? At Typhoon Lagoon a cheeseburger with fries is $6.09 and at Backlot Express at Hollywood Studios a double w/cheese is $6.59 including fries. The only place I could find a Cheeseburger at Disney World for more than $8.00 is at Pecos Bill at Magic Kingdom for $8.09 and it is a double which includes fries and a huge works bar with hot pan served saute vegetables and enough cold toppings to make it impossible to open ones mouth to get a bite.

Source AllEars.com http://allears.net/din/dining.htm

EPCOT is a favorite spot for many guests to dine at all the many sit down dinning locations. They have world renowned chefs brought in to keep the menu interesting. But this is true throughout Disney world parks and resorts. Many restaurants are booked solid months in advance and you need to hope for a cancellation to dine there. The best promotion Disney has offered and they have offered it for years because of its success is the Free Dinning Promotion which is the Disney Dinning Plan but at no charge. Many guests including my family love this promotion because we enjoy having a great family sit down meal while enjoying the Disney parks, it gives us some down time to relax. Here are a few links of forum topics that may shed some light on how popular the Dinning choices are at Disney World.

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=14

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=116

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=127

And one last link to a thread that shows the Disney food purchased by guest (helps show the quality)

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=...39#post23018839

Again as I said I respect your opinion but I know there or others who do not share yours and want to make sure we are comparing apples to apples.

[The Interpreter]

To say that the food quality at Disney is on a par with that at Kings Island can only be said, in my opinion, with the same level of credulity as saying that the beef served at Morton's Steak House is on a par with that at McDonald's.

[Gabe]

Well, I actually worked in the MK right across from Pecos Bill at the Bear Jamboree, so I remember the pricing. I'm sure they've scaled back prices since then. As to Terpy's post--you can get 5 star cuisine at WDW--Victoria and Albert's, to name one. My point was that theme park food, whether at KI or anywhere else, shouldn't be expected to provide you with lasting memories..just to povide a decent, problem-free meal so you can ejoy the rest of your day.