KI Employee Cafeteria?

[garyh9900]

Hey guys and gals. I'm was having a converstation with a few of my friends the other day. We were employees at KI back in the mid-to-late 90's. We couldn't remember the name of the employee cafeteria. Does anyone know it?

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

Yes.

Beating Terp to the punch.

[garyh9900]

Yes.

Beating Terp to the punch.

LOL. Okay. What is the name of the employee cafeteria? It's driving me nuts, I can't remember.

[Outdoor Man]

oscar's, I think.

[garyh9900]

oscar's, I think.

Yep. That's it. Thanks.

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

Or according to the sign by the door Cornerstone Cafe, but more commonly known as Oscar's

[Jerome Silberman]

Hey guys and gals. I'm was having a converstation with a few of my friends the other day. We were employees at KI back in the mid-to-late 90's. We couldn't remember the name of the employee cafeteria. Does anyone know it?

Gary, would love to hear your thoughts on what the cafeteria was like back then. As others have noted on these forums, it is now called "Cornerstone Cafe" apparently named after something to do with Cedar Fair's guidelines or something. Back when you were there, who ran it and was the food any good? It's a shame, apparently these days they contract its operation out to a vendor (who pays rent to Cedar Fair) who charges relatively high prices to kids who already don't make much money. This coming from a company who claims they gave employees pay raises when they simple follow Federal minimum wage laws, I'm not surprised.

[standbyme]

...apparently these days they contract its operation out to a vendor (who pays rent to Cedar Fair) who charges relatively high prices to kids who already don't make much money.

That's interesting...as a non-employee I always envisioned dirt-cheap meals for all "on the clock" employees at the cafateria.

[Jerome Silberman]

^As did I. When I was a "kid," every place I worked offered something similar. When I worked in restaurants, you got free food or discounted meals etc. That's why I'm curious to hear Gary's experiences. Apparently under Paramount it was run by the park and offered cheap prices to employees and then Cedar Fair contracted it out. All the folks I knew who worked there used to pack.

[TromaKing]

Back in the Mid 90s the food was the same as was sold in the park, however you did get a nice discount. I used to go with my friends on my off days and that is how we would eat without having to leave the park. Now that I only work there during Haunt i have no idea what the prices are like.

[MarketingExpress]

Under Paramount ownership it was called Oscar's. It was an in-house operation therefore when an employee was hired by the food department they had the option of working in Oscar's. They served hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, and fries everyday. They also had a rotating entree, sometimes 2 that was very reasonably priced. My favorite was when they would have Skyline 3 ways or cheese coneys. You could get out of oscars with a filling meal including a fountain soft drink for about $5-$7.

[AZ Kinda Guy]

My first year in the rides department(2000), the prices were fairly cheap. I want to say a slice of pepperoni was around 1.25 but I could be way off on that. However, with each passing season, the prices started to go up. Like someone mentioned earlier, it is now ran by an outside company. However, they charge way too much for the quality of the food that is provided. As for the naming, I would guess that the "Oscars" name came when Paramount took over because before Paramount I think the place was called "The Canteen."

[FOF1996]

When I worked for the park in 2010, the prices weren't that expensive. Much cheaper than the midways. I could get chicken tenders, fries and a soda for under $6.

[PhantomTheater]

Intresting, the CP employee cafeteria (actual name), is still run in house by food services.

[faeriewench]

Some point it was renamed from Oscars to Backstage cafe or something similar before the current name, I think. But I could be wrong.

[SOB_TOM]

The food, for what they were charging, it is a rip off. Last year, one slice of pizza, fries and a drink was over $5, and the quality was exactly what you got in the midway. So basically, every time I worked and bought food, almost an entire hours' pay went back to the park, and it wasn't even enough to fill me up.

In contrast, down at Universal, the quality of the food was much, much higher than what you got in the midway. That same deal, pizza (the size of a large plate,) fries and a drink was around $3, and it was enough to fill me up. Instead of an hours pay, less than a half hours pay went back to the park, the quality was exceptional, with everything made fresh.

I have learned through my theme park career (if you can call it that,) Cedar Fair has a lot to learn about how to treat employees, especially regarding meals.

[garyh9900]

I worked for PKI in 1997, 1998, and 1999. I worked at the Festhaus all 3 seasons. Oscars served the same menu as most of the other food stands in the park. Hamburgers, pizza, chicken tenders, fries, salads, and a rotating specialty dish. They also served ice cream(and occasionally they would bring in the smurfy blue ice cream). I think it was a food service associate benefit only, but we got at least 1 meal ticket 8 hour shift, it was worth 5 dollars of food at Oscars. It was enough for me to get 2 pieces of pepperoni pizza, a order of fries and a regular drink. It was exactly the same stuff as we served at the festhaus. Interesting note, I always volunteered for pool whenever it was available. On-duty Waterworks employees got the Oscar's price while eating at Sharkey's.

[KI-ORIG-EMP]

What ever name the park chooses to call it, it will always remain as Oscar's to all of my fellow employees. I have not eaten there in over 4 years. During the Paramount years, I remember at the end of the season in 1995, we had a free steak dinner provided by the park to all employees. I always made a joke that the so called LaRosa's pizza that they provided, was LaRosa in name only, that they used the can sauce provided by LaRosa. It had very title cheese and it was not provolone and very few slices of pepperoni.

[garyh9900]

I liked it for the most part. The first season i worked there, I spent 5 days a week working and most of the other 2 their as a guest, you could also eat there as a guest. So I'd eat on a few dollars unless I wanted something like a funnel cake or something like that. Now the 2nd and 3rd seasons, I didn't spend nearly as much time there when not working. I remember resale or sometimes just food would have an after hours event in some sections of the park, it was normally coney mall. Free food, walk on to The Vortex, Flight of Fear, racers, and the days of thunder(for some reason, I really liked that one).

[garyh9900]

What ever name the park chooses to call it, it will always remain as Oscar's to all of my fellow employees. I have not eaten there in over 4 years. During the Paramount years, I remember at the end of the season in 1995, we had a free steak dinner provided by the park to all employees. I always made a joke that the so called LaRosa's pizza that they provided, was LaRosa in name only, that they used the can sauce provided by LaRosa. It had very title cheese and it was not provolone and very few slices of pepperoni.

In 1997-99 the sauce was bagged, but the cheese was indeed provolone, that's about all I did in 98 and 99 was make pizza. I remember it was 1 ladle of sauce, a cup(it wasn't the unit of measurement, but a cup they had picked out for their right amount of cheese, in their opinion, and enough peperoni, not touching evening spaced across the sauce.

I remember we would make calzones at night before shutting the oven down for us closers. I had some good times there, made some good friends, that I still talk to 15 years later.

[KI-ORIG-EMP]

The one perk that us employees loved in 72, was at the end of the day, LaRosa's would sale us the pizza's not sold to the employees for $1.00 for a whole pie. We would line up behind the IS LaRosa's for this perk! I even remember this taking place around 93 even. The pizza that is made in Oscar's today does not impress me as the same pizza you would buy at the LaRosa's outside of the park. They skimp on the pepperoni slices at about 3 or 4 pepperoni slices per slice of pie. As I said, i have not been Oscar's for a couple years but is a large fountain Coke still $1.00? If not, it should be.

[CedarPointer]

...apparently these days they contract its operation out to a vendor (who pays rent to Cedar Fair) who charges relatively high prices to kids who already don't make much money.

That's interesting...as a non-employee I always envisioned dirt-cheap meals for all "on the clock" employees at the cafateria.

I used to think that too.

(btw, it was Oscar's under Paramount, CF changed it to Backstage Cafe, then it was changed to Cornerstone Cafe in 2010.)

[KI-ORIG-EMP]

Whenever I would walk in the past the security post and notice a goose in the parking lot, I would jokingly say, "There is today's employee special at Oscar's!" To all the employees that were there before CF took over, it will always be Oscar's to us!

[CedarPointer]

Three words: chicken wrap day.

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

Resurrecting an old thread, I start work this week at KI and am wondering what the best thing is to get at Cornerstone. 

[gforce1994]

14 minutes ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

Resurrecting an old thread, I start work this week at KI and am wondering what the best thing is to get at Cornerstone. 

Food. 
All joking aside, the oreo pies are incredible.

[exscream team]

Best thing to eat in Cornerstone is usually whatever the special for the day is and yes the Oreo pie is a must

[KIKidd75]

Does anyone know what it was called before Oscar’s and Cornerstone?  That is before Paramount and Cedar Fair. 

[garyh9900]

On 7/24/2021 at 7:27 PM, KIKidd75 said:

Does anyone know what it was called before Oscar’s and Cornerstone?  That is before Paramount and Cedar Fair. 

My only experience as an employee was during the best days of KI, the paramount years.