Magenta Lizard Posted March 3, 2017 Author Share Posted March 3, 2017 Opening weekend last year, the wait for Panda Express was, literally, two hours at prime time. This was due in large part to the employees not being "worn in" yet, combined with large crowds. It was very annoying at the time (there's a reason "hangry" is a term that has caught on), but it fortunately was not a lasting problem as the season progressed. I'm generally pleased with the plan, but like most things at KI, I purposefully avoid times when things get busy. My worry this season is still that RHoFG and Rivertown Potato Works are thus far missing from the website pages listing what meals/restaurants are included. Taking out two available restaurants, and only adding one in return, partway into the season when Soak City opens, is going to make lines at all the other restaurants longer. I'm still hoping they won't actually be removed when it comes down to it, but so far the park has been cagey about questions. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenban Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 I hate to say it but I feel like RHoFG has largely been a failure. I would love for the park to just change it over to more of a casual restaurant where you order at a register and are given a puck. Then when it vibrates you just get up and pick up your food. The food is fantastic but leaving half the restaurant empty is just pointless. I would also be completely for splitting the restaurant in half, where one side still has table service and the other does not. But if the park cannot manage to figure out how to staff the restaurant maybe it is time to change the restaurant. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flightoffear1996 Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 I agree with you on RHoFG. I have nothing but bad service and most of the food I order has been bad. The hamburger comes to mind was very very dry. If it wasn't for the Chicken Shack and Skyline I dont think I would have a food season pass. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeastFarmer Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 I've been mostly pleased at RHoFG, but they seem woefully understaffed most of the time, which seems to echo at most of the locations. I am no foodservice guru, but it seems that when you are understaffed, the existing staff becomes demoralized, which leads to a spiral. That being said, I think things are slowly improving, albeit at a snail's pace. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flightoffear1996 Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 I don't understand why KI wouldn't look to an outside consulting company to fix it. They clearly need to and they should be able to afford to with the amount of money they make from that grill. I'm sure there could even be some outside chains willing to put a location in there and run it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenageninja Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 3 hours ago, jtro223 said: I'm a frequent critic of KI foodservice, mostly about speed of service vs quality. I think the dining plan is a tremendous value, but I just wish the park would at attack the issue. Even the most basic issue, like handling food after handling money should be a no brainer. The other FUN parks seem to not have an issue with speed of service. Cedar Point's food service is far worse than Kings Island's. Carowinds seemd to be on par with KI as far as I'm concerned. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhyano Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 8 minutes ago, teenageninja said: Cedar Point's food service is far worse than Kings Island's. Carowinds seemd to be on par with KI as far as I'm concerned. I do like Cedar Point's chain restaurants, but the rest of Cedar Point's food is terrible. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingsMills79 Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 8 minutes ago, teenageninja said: Cedar Point's food service is far worse than Kings Island's. Carowinds seemd to be on par with KI as far as I'm concerned. ^Then you haven't tried Harmony Hall because the local food critics rave about the food choices and dietary options. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/living/food-drink/article9146828.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenageninja Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 28 minutes ago, KingsMills79 said: ^Then you haven't tried Harmony Hall because the local food critics rave about the food choices and dietary options. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/living/food-drink/article9146828.html I did eat at Harmony Hall. The food was mediocre, the lines VERY long. Have you tried it yourself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creed Bratton Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 I've never had an issue with Harmony Hall. I generally only eat there...last year I ate at Panda Express for one meal and even then I wish I would have got something from Harmony Hall. Anywho, yay 2017 KI! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver2005 Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Wish I'd found out about this sooner. I don't have anything prepared. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcgoble3 Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 12 hours ago, APE said: I do find it a bit ridiculous to get so offended that they weren't using all of the tables with only two servers. There was obviously staffing issues for the last day and when you say stuff like that without looking at the whole picture you come of as an entitled brat. What I'm offended at is not that they weren't using all the tables (I understand that given the lack of servers). My beef is with the fact they only had two servers to begin with. They told us that multiple people called off, and I assume that either they couldn't get anyone to come in, or they didn't even try to call someone in. Either way, that reeks of mismanagement. In the latter case, directly, in the sense that the manager should have called other workers to try to get someone to come in. In the former case, the fact that the employees didn't give enough of a **** to bother coming in and earning a paycheck on the last day of operation suggests that they just wanted to get the hell out of there, which in turn suggests that the place was being managed in such a way that the employees didn't feel valued. Take it from someone currently working for barely over minimum wage at Kroger: There's a lot of things about my job that I hate, but I still have a smile on my face while serving customers and put effort into doing a good job, because our managers treat us well and appreciate us for what we do. Would I be the same way if management was rude to us and treated us as if we were nothing more than tools that drained their profits every payday? Hell no. I'd get the **** out of there as fast as I could. Bottom line: style of management has a HUGE impact on the employees' attitude toward their jobs. On closing day 2015, not only did that show in an ugly way, but that experience, along with others, suggests to me that (mis)management is the root cause of the food service issues. Don't blame it on the front line workers; blame it on management. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver2005 Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 ^I can second that working at Skyline. I think part of it is lack of tips working a full service restaurant which the meal plans incentivizes not leaving tips because you're not paying at the actual restaurant. I don't think a full service restaurant should be on a meal plan of any kind. Good servers make bank on tips. I've seen waitresses at Skyline pull in a few hundred dollars on busy days from tips. Why work at Kings Island when you can go down the street at Outback or Blue Ash Chili and haul in money? I don't see why a good server would work at KI given the alternatives. I bet a lot of those waitresses and waiters are doing it for the first time. Going on a tangent, for a full service restaurant, the selection is pretty limited. Sure, it's better than most of the rest of the park, but KI is a pretty low bar to get over in terms of food. Having eaten actual Montgomery Inn food at the original location and the boathouse downtown, its not quite up there, but its a closer margin of error than KI's representation of LaRosa's (which, the Reds, Coney Island, and the Cincinnati Zoo get LaRosa's much better, the Reds even offer calzones). When it was WINGS under Paramount, they got Montgomery Inn down a lot better. I don't know what in the world KI does to the LaRosa's sauce and baking, but they do it completely wrong. At least they get Skyline and Graeter's right... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malem Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 ^^ With only two servers showing up, they probably should have closed that location early and sent employees elsewhere. It's hard to draw conclusions looking at Closing Day staffing levels at a seasonal park. ^ The menus noted that dining plans don't include gratuity, but many diners likely ignored it or didn't have cash. Some KIC members carried cash at the park solely for Reds Grille tips. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyGuy4KI Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 Here is an idea, make a section of tables at Reds just for pass holder with meal plans with a kiosk to order. Won't interept paying guests and meal plan holders have a section with more efficent service with less server needs. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingsMills79 Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 On 3/3/2017 at 1:36 PM, teenageninja said: I did eat at Harmony Hall. The food was mediocre, the lines VERY long. Have you tried it yourself? Yes, Carowinds is my home park. I have had most all of the food options there during multiple visits but my ABSOLUTE favorite is the Smoked BBQ pork. ($11.99 in 2016) The pork is slowly smoked in their own custom smoker before being shredded and you can pair it with three (I believe) different sauces. The meal includes the choice of side of which I always get the homemade Mac n Cheese. (It;s so good it will make you slap your grandma) The other sides ore OK, but I have had the broccoli salad in lieu of the mac n cheese when they've sold out. (It goes quickly) The other meal option I recommend is the BBQ ribs. Again, you won't find these kind of food options at a SF park, and it is a welcome (refreshing) change from a simple Chicken tender & fries basket you find at most parks these days. I'm sorry that you had a bad experience at HH. Yes, the lines are long during peak hours but I trust if you visit Carowinds in the future you might give Harmony Hall another chance based on the above recommendations as they really do cater to the customer. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie Tommer Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 19 hours ago, silver2005 said: ^I can second that working at Skyline. I think part of it is lack of tips working a full service restaurant which the meal plans incentivizes not leaving tips because you're not paying at the actual restaurant. I don't think a full service restaurant should be on a meal plan of any kind. Good servers make bank on tips. I've seen waitresses at Skyline pull in a few hundred dollars on busy days from tips. Why work at Kings Island when you can go down the street at Outback or Blue Ash Chili and haul in money? I don't see why a good server would work at KI given the alternatives. I bet a lot of those waitresses and waiters are doing it for the first time. Going on a tangent, for a full service restaurant, the selection is pretty limited. Sure, it's better than most of the rest of the park, but KI is a pretty low bar to get over in terms of food. Having eaten actual Montgomery Inn food at the original location and the boathouse downtown, its not quite up there, but its a closer margin of error than KI's representation of LaRosa's (which, the Reds, Coney Island, and the Cincinnati Zoo get LaRosa's much better, the Reds even offer calzones). When it was WINGS under Paramount, they got Montgomery Inn down a lot better. I don't know what in the world KI does to the LaRosa's sauce and baking, but they do it completely wrong. At least they get Skyline and Graeter's right... I respectably Disagree, I have been one time to the Reds Hall of Fame Grill, We waited maybe 45 minutes, and the serving sizes were decently Big. We used our Meal Plans, but at the end still tipped the waiter, as the atmosphere of it being a real restaurant made it feel wrong to not do so. As for Skyline, You walk through a line to get your food, it inst brought to you, If have rarely if never seen anyone tip the workers there since there is really No one to tip.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver2005 Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 ^I work at a Skyline restaurant, not at KI. I'm comparing those tips to the kinds of tips KI waiters/waitresses make. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie Tommer Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 Just now, silver2005 said: ^I work at a Skyline restaurant, not at KI. I'm comparing those tips to the kinds of tips KI waiters/waitresses make. My Bad! XD 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver2005 Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 Also, my Skyline is in a less populated part of town. I can imagine waiter/waitresses at the more popular Skylines (Clifton during the school year, downtown) haul even more in tips. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck norris Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 Opening weekend last year, the wait for Panda Express was, literally, two hours at prime time. This was due in large part to the employees not being "worn in" yet, combined with large crowds. It was very annoying at the time (there's a reason "hangry" is a term that has caught on), but it fortunately was not a lasting problem as the season progressed. I'm generally pleased with the plan, but like most things at KI, I purposefully avoid times when things get busy. My worry this season is still that RHoFG and Rivertown Potato Works are thus far missing from the website pages listing what meals/restaurants are included. Taking out two available restaurants, and only adding one in return, partway into the season when Soak City opens, is going to make lines at all the other restaurants longer. I'm still hoping they won't actually be removed when it comes down to it, but so far the park has been cagey about questions. If they add Tom and chee, then it's like adding 1.5 in return (0.5 for Soak City).I'd personally round that up to 2 because both the bbq and Tom add menu items that completely didn't exist on the meal plan before (vs red and potato works which basically had more burgers and chicken strips as the meal plan option).Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Lizard Posted March 5, 2017 Author Share Posted March 5, 2017 Tom + Chee (if it comes back, and I'm definitely not counting on that since nothing has been said) may or may not be on the meal plan (when it showed up it was supposed to be added to dining "soon" which turned to "maybe next season" after a few weeks), and it replaced a location that used to be on the meal plan. So it's pretty much an even trade if it comes back and is on the plan, and possibly another location loss if it either has been removed or decides not to implement the plan. I agree that having unique offerings does make it a more worthwhile addition to the plan, if it is added. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnaalexis Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 I do hope Tom + Chee comes back Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Lizard Posted March 5, 2017 Author Share Posted March 5, 2017 If they do, I'm going to have to try them out at least once even if they aren't on dining! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnaalexis Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 Same! I've only had it was and it was good but it's been a few years! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harveyhaddixfan Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 Maybe I'm missing it, but isn't there something on the meal plan for every place that serves a "meal"? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhyano Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 Opening day is around the corner! Backlot Stunt Coaster is testing! 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calakapepe Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 Exciting! I can't wait to see Mystic Testing... but it looks like there's still a lot to do with the ride's buildings/ theming And I'm honestly a little concerned that the queue-crete hasn't been poured yet A month and a week till opening 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonofBaconator Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 I think they'll power through this month. I went on a behind the scenes tour of Banshee back in March of 2014 and none of the pavilion work was completed at all 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Concrete flat work takes little time. It can be poured in a day and ready for foot traffic in a couple of days. This is usually one of the later things done on projects so that the concrete isn`t damaged by the heavy equipment used elsewhere on the site. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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