Stoan Posted September 30, 2018 Share Posted September 30, 2018 I tried to go to Mac and Cheese tonight, but a fully wrapped queue and the line still out the door turned me away. Literally the most full I've ever seen the parking lot, I parked a stone's throw from the entrance it was so full, 4 people working the front-end of Coney BBQ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuvingKI Posted September 30, 2018 Share Posted September 30, 2018 Definately worth the 10$ parking upgrade tonight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gannersdaddy Posted September 30, 2018 Share Posted September 30, 2018 We went tonight. It was a lot more. The only bummer was there was no macaroni ready so we got the tots. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck norris Posted September 30, 2018 Share Posted September 30, 2018 Hit the park during the day Saturday and checked out the Mac and cheese bar. No line around noon.Took some pictures of the menu offerings.Slightly disappointed the tater tots are not gluten free, but I love how the other items are labeled, so my celiac family members may give it a try with no base ingredient.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spooky21 Posted September 30, 2018 Share Posted September 30, 2018 So Friday they let us get Mac and tots with 1 meat and then whatever else. Today they said only Mac or tots, they need to get their crap together with food service. Nothing I have had at KI has been consistent this year. CP on the other hand has been great . We ate at Coney BBQ and all of the food was cold. I have a dining plan so it's a bit less frustrating but charging $14 for a cold meal is a joke. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ding Dong Posted September 30, 2018 Share Posted September 30, 2018 It is kind of ridiculous to label all the toppings as gluten free when the Mac and tots are not. That not how this works, that’s not how any of this works. Also what is gluten doing in basil pesto and sautéed onions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuvingKI Posted September 30, 2018 Share Posted September 30, 2018 I've never had the mac and cheese bar. How does that work with a meal plan? Do you get to pick a meat and then either tots or mac and cheese and put whatever toppings you want on them? Or is toppings extra? I see 4 cheeses in the picture, can I have all 4 or do I have to choose 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brent Posted September 30, 2018 Share Posted September 30, 2018 Coney bbq baked apples special side today. Needed to be baked a bit longer. WAY to chewey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ding Dong Posted September 30, 2018 Share Posted September 30, 2018 2 hours ago, LuvingKI said: I've never had the mac and cheese bar. How does that work with a meal plan? Do you get to pick a meat and then either tots or mac and cheese and put whatever toppings you want on them? Or is toppings extra? I see 4 cheeses in the picture, can I have all 4 or do I have to choose 1 *Subject to change without notice. (And it does, frequently, everywhere) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuvingKI Posted September 30, 2018 Share Posted September 30, 2018 19 minutes ago, King Ding Dong said: *Subject to change without notice. (And it does, frequently, everywhere) Gotcha, my best bet is to wait till next weekend and see how their feeling 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyGuy4KI Posted October 1, 2018 Author Share Posted October 1, 2018 Was going to give Mac n cheese bar another try today. Walked in at 5:10 and the line was already closed, even though there was still plenty of food there to serve. The worker said they were told to close already. We ended up going to Coney BBQ. No chicken was available. We were told 20 -30 minutes before it would be ready. Got the beef brisket instead. I went to get my side and no mac n cheese. Another disappointment. So I got fries instead. Sat down right on the patio and only a few minutes to ring out. Our food was room temp cold. I realize it is late season, and there is not as much help, but why are the places that are open not fully stocked, all food offerings avaliable, and have it hot when served? On another note, ride operations were awesome today. The park needs to keep in mind food operations needs to be at the same caliber. The average family is going to remember their cold food with not having the options they wanted as much as getting on their favorite rides efficiently. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ding Dong Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 @IndyGuy4KI On the bright side at least Coney BBQ worked through the problem they had earlier in the year when running out of Mac and Cheese meant the entire line had to shut down for everyone regardless if they wanted Mac and Cheese or not. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjcolglazier Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 I went to Hank's today, and looked jealously at the mac-and-cheese thing not knowing what I might or might not be able to get. So I just stayed in line at Hank's. Asked politely for a bit of queso and guac on my burrito and was told it was an up-charge for my dining plan on both. No chips and salsa either. The good news is my daughter and I had finished our meal by the time my wife and son even got out of the Subway line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKIVortex Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 Food Service was way off today, and the park wasn't even busy. Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spooky21 Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 Yes food service was bad, was not impressed with it at all. Ride operations I do agree were great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoan Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 17 hours ago, King Ding Dong said: It is kind of ridiculous to label all the toppings as gluten free when the Mac and tots are not. That not how this works, that’s not how any of this works. Also what is gluten doing in basil pesto and sautéed onions? A bowl of toppings, minus the main course! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 19 hours ago, IndyGuy4KI said: Was going to give Mac n cheese bar another try today. Walked in at 5:10 and the line was already closed, even though there was still plenty of food there to serve. The worker said they were told to close already. We ended up going to Coney BBQ. No chicken was available. We were told 20 -30 minutes before it would be ready. Got the beef brisket instead. I went to get my side and no mac n cheese. Another disappointment. So I got fries instead. Sat down right on the patio and only a few minutes to ring out. Our food was room temp cold. I realize it is late season, and there is not as much help, but why are the places that are open not fully stocked, all food offerings avaliable, and have it hot when served? On another note, ride operations were awesome today. The park needs to keep in mind food operations needs to be at the same caliber. The average family is going to remember their cold food with not having the options they wanted as much as getting on their favorite rides efficiently. I’ve been twice: The first time I showed up at 7:00 (Friday). I was told by the associates that it would open by then. Opened up around 7:20. Lots of people were upset in the line that formed that it opened late. This sort of stuff happens, so I was cool. Got my food. Very delicious. A girl who had told me I was literally her first customer ever served me and clearly had no idea what she was serving. She put the Mac on one side and the toppings on the other. One person in my party only wanted plain Mac and got one scoop that took up about 1/4 of the plate. Fortunately I said something to the guy at the end of the line on her behalf and he gladly fixed it. Second time I went there was one person working the whole line. This was Saturday night. He was a volunteer. He was dripping with sweat and clearly stressed. He did the best he could until he ran out of all types of Mac and tater tots. Then he just made awkward conversation with the people in line. None of the employees seemed to be able to or have much interest in helping him. More of my party showed up later in the night. They wanted to try the Mac bar, but I didn’t eat. There was no one in line around 9:30. They walked up and were told that they were out of Mac and cheese. They said to go ahead and have them scan your meal plan and there would be more available in about 5 minutes. They asked him how late they were going to be open and he said midnight. They scanned their passes and gave them their drinks and receipts. A few minutes later they went back in the exit to see that they had refilled the Mac. They attempted to order and the associate who was closest said they were closed and wouldn’t be able to serve them. They had to show the guy the receipts and he hesitantly served them. He gave them anything they wanted because “they were going to throw this stuff out anyway.” I know, I know... they should have gone to guest services blah blah blah. But what’s the point? Clearly the leadership in the department is either unwilling or unable to affect change. It’s been the same issues, if not progressively worse, since the meal plans were implemented. With that being said, if you do find yourself in the situation where you can get the Mac I highly recommend it. It’s delicious and very filling!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flightoffear1996 Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 I just really don't understand the lines at the food stands. Why does it take so long to toss a burrito bowl together or put a sandwhich together. Sometimes I am in the mood for some crappy Kings Island food but the lines are just too long and they move way to slow. My family and I are ditching the food pass for next season between some of the lines and poor inconstant quality of food its no longer worth it to us. I would rather take the $360 or whatever it cost for the 3 of us and hit up the local restaurants that have good quality of food after we leave the park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 30 minutes ago, flightoffear1996 said: I just really don't understand the lines at the food stands. Why does it take so long to toss a burrito bowl together or put a sandwhich together. Sometimes I am in the mood for some crappy Kings Island food but the lines are just too long and they move way to slow. My family and I are ditching the food pass for next season between some of the lines and poor inconstant quality of food its no longer worth it to us. I would rather take the $360 or whatever it cost for the 3 of us and hit up the local restaurants that have good quality of food after we leave the park. My fear is that the food service will become the icon for the park for some people and they will just stop going. Do you think lower season pass sales had something to do with that this year? Maybe. It wasn’t until they were giving away the park this year that they saw any motion this season for 18/19 season passes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuvingKI Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 I for the most part don't have bad food service.. Slow sometimes.. I just don't like Coney Bbq. After going as many times as I have this year, every time I get my meal I feel like I'm winning based off only spending a 100$ on the plan And the drink plan for 30$ that is a amazing value. Between my Wife and I based off what they charge for 1 cup we've had probably 2k worth of drinks for 60$ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spooky21 Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 I know it's just his first year but I feel the head chef isn't doing too hot. Ya I know he can only do so much but serving cold food, changing portions, and having ridiculous waits for overpriced food isn't right. I experienced much better food quality last year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeastFarmer Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 ^So interesting that people can have different experiences. I've been mostly satisfied with food quality this year and have noticed time spent in line waiting for food. I've noticed more international workers in the food service locations. Granted, I have the ability to go on slow days during the week, so my experience is framed around that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ding Dong Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 35 minutes ago, spooky21 said: I know it's just his first year but I feel the head chef isn't doing too hot. Ya I know he can only do so much but serving cold food, changing portions, and having ridiculous waits for overpriced food isn't right. I experienced much better food quality last year. I suspect that kind of stuff is outside his Chef Major’s control. He may come up with the recipes and procedures but the bean counters, purchasing agents and line managers control what actually happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 2 hours ago, King Ding Dong said: I suspect that kind of stuff is outside his Chef Major’s control. He may come up with the recipes and procedures but the bean counters, purchasing agents and line managers control what actually happens. I have nothing but faith in both chefs. I’m just worried that, Chef Major in particular, may not last long if he’s being set up for failure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Lizard Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 ^I think we had an in-person discussion of that early in the season. How is a semi-famous chef going to feel being the face of the quality of the food across the park, but where he will have very little day-to-day control of a historically poorly managed* department? Well, last time I saw him in the park (recently, which was also the first time I have seen him in quite some time) he didn't look happy. *I know I've gone into more depth about this before, but a big part of the problem is that in food service in particular, if you are /good/ at managing people you can pretty much find a job anywhere. What is the incentive for such a person to take on a seasonal job? As opposed to a full year full time job, with benefits and a constant paycheck? There are a few unicorns out there for whom it might be a perfect fit to only work part of the year, but they're going to be hard to find and keep. I think it is likely that turnover in management is worse than the turnover of employees, as people either find it is more than they can handle, burn out, or discover they can find more consistent work elsewhere. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 2 hours ago, Magenta Lizard said: ^I think we had an in-person discussion of that early in the season. How is a semi-famous chef going to feel being the face of the quality of the food across the park, but where he will have very little day-to-day control of a historically poorly managed* department? Well, last time I saw him in the park (recently, which was also the first time I have seen him in quite some time) he didn't look happy. *I know I've gone into more depth about this before, but a big part of the problem is that in food service in particular, if you are /good/ at managing people you can pretty much find a job anywhere. What is the incentive for such a person to take on a seasonal job? As opposed to a full year full time job, with benefits and a constant paycheck? There are a few unicorns out there for whom it might be a perfect fit to only work part of the year, but they're going to be hard to find and keep. I think it is likely that turnover in management is worse than the turnover of employees, as people either find it is more than they can handle, burn out, or discover they can find more consistent work elsewhere. Food Merchandise Rides Security Admissions Park Sevices HR All of these departments have the same deal as foods. None of them have issues on the scale as them. People want to work there. Many leave higher paying jobs in the offseason to come back. To think that the problem with foods is a victim of circumstance is simply wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ding Dong Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 Other than a custodian cleaning restrooms food services has to be one of the worst, most unrewarding, hot and un-fun jobs in the park. At least for most people. I can’t recall ever hearing a food services employee on this board rave about their job but we certainly have sales, rides and merchandise members here that love working at the park. That basic fact is the foundation on which all the other issues including unqualified management is built. There isn’t one single cause of all the issues but they sure compound to make for a really unpleasant situation. Antiquated POS systems, poorly designed food stands, often poor ingredients, unmotivated workers, unqualified supervisory staff, etc. I think it is a lot more complicated than just the Meal Plans existing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldieButGoodie Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 On 9/30/2018 at 9:47 AM, chuck norris said: Hit the park during the day Saturday and checked out the Mac and cheese bar. No line around noon. Took some pictures of the menu offerings. Slightly disappointed the tater tots are not gluten free, but I love how the other items are labeled, so my celiac family members may give it a try with no base ingredient. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk It really says 'TATOR' and has the tilde over the O in JALAPENOS? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TombRaiderFTW Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 Maybe they're Portuguese jalapeños? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gannersdaddy Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 Had the mac and cheese bar today. Tried the Cajon shrimp and bacon jam. Both are hood. They did change back to the smaller plates but I think the serving size was good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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