Stylez Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 I went to the Cincinnati Zoo today, first time I've been there in a few months and it was kinda nice to get quality food service, Kings Island could learn a few things from them. I went to the Skyline at the zoo, there was a line, it moved fast, the cashier knew what she was doing, and I got my food less than 30 seconds after I paid for it. Amazing how that works... I am sure they hire above minimum wage. You get what you pay for. Also, I am not sure how much food is cooked verses reheated via fryers and ovens. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 There was a time Kings Island cooked ribs and chicken outside in Rivertown. And it was lusciously delectable. The smell alone... See also Dollywood. And turkeylegs are not what I'm talking about. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westcoaster Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Rhofg is the best great bar great staff incredible food. Great theme. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldschool75 Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 At which food stand/restaurant does the chef cook?And is open?Sent from a signal coming out of the Vega system. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Existential Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 I don't think that I have ever had a 'good' meal at Kings Island. Ever. But I haven't been to Reds at all. Hanks was some of the worst food I had ever had last year. About the only thing I would think that they couldn't screw up at the different stands, would be a giant pretzel with mustard...and I would probably get ketchup on a hotdog bun or something handed to me after ordering. At least there are water fountains available so I don't have to suck down 5 dollar fructose water all day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdf21972 Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Buffalo chicken salad best thing at Reds HOF grill. Also available on the DP too. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dane Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 I went to the Cincinnati Zoo today, first time I've been there in a few months and it was kinda nice to get quality food service, Kings Island could learn a few things from them. I went to the Skyline at the zoo, there was a line, it moved fast, the cashier knew what she was doing, and I got my food less than 30 seconds after I paid for it. Amazing how that works... I was there the other day and had their "gourmet BBQ Bacon Burger" It was a GFS meat with lettuce, onion, charcoal bacon, and a oversized bun. It was a huge letdown, even lacked bbq sauce. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WindingSon Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 I had a 3 Way at the Skyline in the Cincinnati Zoo last year that was okay, but there were so many bees in the dining area that it was impossible to enjoy it. Couldn't take a bite of food without a bee flying in trying to sneak a piece. That was probably the worst dining experience I've ever had at a park. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtk1378 Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 I went to the Cincinnati Zoo today, first time I've been there in a few months and it was kinda nice to get quality food service, Kings Island could learn a few things from them. I went to the Skyline at the zoo, there was a line, it moved fast, the cashier knew what she was doing, and I got my food less than 30 seconds after I paid for it. Amazing how that works... I was there the other day and had their "gourmet BBQ Bacon Burger" It was a GFS meat with lettuce, onion, charcoal bacon, and a oversized bun. It was a huge letdown, even lacked bbq sauce. Question should be though, how fast did the line move? Food quality is pretty par with Kings Island at the zoo to be honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Is that supposed to be a plus? Give me Putz's Creamy Whip. Or Gold Star. Culver's even... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtk1378 Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Definitely not a plus, just a statement. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeastFarmer Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 I had a 3 Way at the Skyline in the Cincinnati Zoo last year that was okay, but there were so many bees in the dining area that it was impossible to enjoy it. Couldn't take a bite of food without a bee flying in trying to sneak a piece. That was probably the worst dining experience I've ever had at a park. As an apiarist, I must ask: Are these honeybees that you speak of? If so, that is fairly unusual behavior. I have not been to this zoo, but at several Kings Island trash cans, I do see a form of wasps flying around, looking to extract sugar from tossed sodas and the like. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Yellowjackets? Terp, who likes to ask questions (and dodge hornets!) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeastFarmer Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 I hope the people who are in positions to make change in the food service are aware that there are problems. My opinion is that the dining plans do not add significantly to the wait times. It does add volume, but they seem to have enough staff to handle the volume. The staff, while friendly (for the most part), seem to have a very low bar set for speed of service. Simple fixes: At places like the Chicken Shack and Hank's Burrito Shack: Open one side for drinks only. That would shorten the food lines. Replace Freestyle machines with standard fountain drinks at these places as well. They add to wait times. As mentioned earlier, re-align the drink refill prices to be an even dollar. Challenging fixes: Change the culture in food service. Instill into workers a sense of urgency. Give supervisors more authority to weed out problem employees. (Leaning over a prep table on elbows, not one employee but three! in the Skyline Chili location in the area formerly known as Coney Mall for instance). Install drink stations with a cashier like Kentucky Kingdom did, just for people who want drinks. (and this idea probably came from the Holiday World drink stations). It will be interesting to see how food service compares at other CF parks when I go next year. I hope this is not a corporate culture and is localized at KI. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtk1378 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 I agree that I think the dining plan is really not the main culprit of the wait times for the food (although it does increase volume as stated above). My solution to the issue with the souvenir cups would be to install self service Coke Freestyle machines. They had something similar at a resort I went to down in Florida. They put a small RFID chip on the bottom of the cup and the Freestyle machines scans that chip to validate the refill. The only thing they would need to find a way to integrate into it is a way to add payment options such as using your credit card or even cash, I can't see how it would be too difficult to do so. But I do agree that there is always a bottleneck at those Coke machines which is probably a good portion of the issues. But that's not to say it's 100% of the issue, I was at the park several weeks ago and went to Potato Works in the former Coney Mall and went up and paid for my food. And mind you, there was nobody else at this food stand waiting for food. It took 5 minutes for them to make a chicken tender and fries basket. Food service employees are a part of the issue too, but how do you fix that? They are hiring minors that have never worked a day in their life and being thrown to the wolves with what looks to be little to no training. The only solution I know is to go the route that the museum and zoo went and use a third party company to handle food service, but I highly doubt that ever happens. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 I do get it. KI has to essentially staff a dozen or so restaurants. Finding that many people to work can be daunting, given that it's mostly part seasonal staff. Good workers will most likely find year round employment, if they want to. But the restaurant by SRR and Vortex (can't think of the name) has no reason to not have all 4 Coke stations up and going. Instead they only run the one side (last few times) with only one cashier. Why not have two cashiers? Especially if the line is 10-15 people deep outside the restaurant. If I have said it once I have said it a couple dozen times now. Most of the employees at food service work as if they know their job is 100% safe. (And yes I have complained and no they have never gotten back, conversely I have given compliments and have never gotten a call back either)... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 The park got your money upfront, and you can't see why there isn't better service and more urgency? Really? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver2005 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 ^But not everyone at the park is on the meal plan. In fact, I'd guess a majority of guests are paying at the stands. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 I suspect many guests are now leaving the park for food. I know I'm one of them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Terp maybe I'm wrong (I hope you are though honestly) that the urgency shouldn't be about how do we get the most money today. It's about creating an environment where a little money spent today equals more spent tomorrow/next year. KK is doing everything it can to get money today. KI doesn't seem to care about either, while Disney would rather you spend a little today but make plans to spends more every single year. Yeah they got the money for the meal plans, but that doesn't excuse the poor service. Plus from what I can tell this appears to be mostly a KI issue as other parks don't appear to garner the same negative vibes from food service... Food service was poor last year as well, and the food plans were not in wide spread distribution. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calakapepe Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 I went yesterday (Sunday) and me and 1 other, only ever wanted the free water cups that day. Both times we had to wait a good 15-20 minutes from around 8-10 people in front of us (about the same behind us). When we finally had someone available to help us, we waited just a tick for the girl to refill the receipt paper, and then she didn't even talk to say something like ,"Alrighty, can I help you?"... No. Finished her last task, stood there, no emotion, stared at each of us for a couple seconds till one of us understood and asked for some water.. She was moving like she hated every customer.Very weird, then on the other hand, went last week, had to get water 2-3 times through our day, and we had great service. I may not always pay for food or drinks, but I at least don't want to feel unwelcome. I've worked in food before at a restaurant and I don't care how tired you are, if you are able to still do your work, you at least gotta act like a normal human being, it's a part of the job.. Act like you're trying, you don't even have to smile. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjcolglazier Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 The park got your money upfront, and you can't see why there isn't better service and more urgency? Really? By this rationale the entire park experience would be horrible because a bunch of us bought Gold Passes. Of course, the truth is they want our money next year, too---for park entrance and dining upfront. They want us to keep coming back and enjoying it so they can keep getting more money. And the folks who experience a lack of urgency and better service are not just dining plan buyers---it's also anyone visiting the park for one day who wants food or beverage. I'm sure the park is trying to do better. By what means I have no idea, but I doubt a shrug and, "well, we already got their money" is the long-term plan. I suspect it's just an ongoing battle to keep employees trained and motivated. I'm not sure what else they can really do. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeastFarmer Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Yes, The Interpreter, I will have to disagree with you on this aspect. I agree with bjcolglazier's logic: other aspects of park operations would have the same lack of urgency for season pass holders and even day tickets because just to get in, they have your money. Ride operations, the shows, the merchandise folks have not had these same issues. I know that food service is not the most glamorous job, but it is key. My first legal job was in food service as a teen and we had to bust tail or the door waited. They really need to work on this issue for next year. The guests I have taken this year love everything except the speed of service in food. bjcolglazier 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 But it's NOT just speed of service. It's food quality. The LaRosa's and Skyline are waaaay down from what they once were. Cold food, old food... Only Reds Hall of Fame and Chick-Fil-A seem to be high quality. Then there's choice. So much grease and fat and fat and grease.... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeastFarmer Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 The only bad food I got this and last year was at The Burrito Shack and it was unseasoned chicken. I'm generally satisfied with The Chicken Shack, Skyline, the burgers. And they serve enough food to feed two. For myself, it's the speed and the lack of care that can be seen by the back line folks. Face to face Frontline folks are great even if they are trying to upsell a souvenir cup while you are refilling your already purchased cup. Oh and for heavens sake. The trays. Can we please!get!trays! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Fat and grease... Yeah that kind of sucks but it's sort of natural when it comes to amusement park food.... The old/cold food again goes to subpar service from subpar workers. I'll say this, the restaurant near Vortex (honestly blanking) had a really good/fresh burger with bacon and the toppings. It ran almost 6-10 minutes for it but it was good. But here is the scenario in this restaurant. You have a line out the door, 1 person at register, 1 grilling/cooking, and 1 expediting/prepping the plate. When he was done either prepping the plate or cooking that one would go around and call for the order to be picked up. Or if the line got too long 1 ran out to run register leaving the other to cook and prep.... Just poor poor service/staffing/supervision. They kicked but in their restaurant area but again they were so short staffed Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver2005 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 ^You'd be thinking of Juke Box Diner. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FEARSOMERIDER Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 The food service at Kings Island is some of the worst I have seen. We have a two plus hour drive to the Park, so we are not as likely to leave the Park to eat as some locals are. KI really needs to visit Dollywood, where for the most part the food is tasty. I can actually eat vegetables, and wholesome food there, as I once was able to do at Kings Island. Chicken tenders and Fries is not a meal, it's a junk food snack, something I don't want my family consuming. With all the other entertainment options out there, Kings Island is becoming less and less desirable...at least for our family. Kings Island needs to look to the Past, and re-institute. Good food, Happy Themed Music, Trams in the parking lot, Fresh Baked goods, fix up paths and walkways, paint , etc. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vortexfan Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Fat and grease... Yeah that kind of sucks but it's sort of natural when it comes to amusement park food...But it doesn't have to be. And considering recent trends toward more healthy, natural eating, it really shouldn't be. And as for quality and speed of service, just this past weekend I was at NJFTP. Went to the "Macho Nacho" place next to El Toro and had my food ordered, freshly prepared, and delivered to my table in under 10 minutes. For a busy Saturday, I was amazed. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcgoble3 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Fat and grease... Yeah that kind of sucks but it's sort of natural when it comes to amusement park food... But it doesn't have to be. And considering recent trends toward more healthy, natural eating, it really shouldn't be. Plymouth Rock Café at Holiday World comes to mind here... jcgoble3, wishing he could have made a trip to Holiday World this year 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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