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Oct 13, 2001
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I’m in 66 - the food and drink places were ridiculously slow ... especially between 62 and 66.

Huge unsafe lines were forming.


Yeah....I'm in the same vicinity....67.

The line ups for food were ridiculous. At half time I waited for 3-4 minutes in a queue then gave up and went eastward to the Red Rooster outlet which thankfully, whilst still very busy, wasn't as bad.

In the environment of a season where we are not only dragging back lapsed supporters but almost certainly attracting first timers, bad service/ long delays at food outlets are an embarrassment.
 

CoZi36

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Jan 7, 2006
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I took my mother to the North Melbourne match (first time that I've invited her to a match for some years) and at half time mum wanted a burger and they had run out just before I got to the outlet at half time. So to not fully disappoint my mum I got her a wrap (which was around $1.50 cheaper but not as good as a warm burger on a winters night). I invited my mother again for the Dogs match but we got burgers on the way in so we weren't disappointed and just bought hot chips at half time. Lions_Insider, I hope the Lions communicate to Michael O'Brien that the Geelong match must be a full 'dress rehearsal' for the finals series - which means close to every single food and beverage outlet is open and well staffed until about 10 mins into the final quarter. Going to be 'showcasing' the Gabba which is important to 2020 and beyond with membership, opposition supporters visiting the Gabba, the Easter Thursday clash etc.

I did love the petting zoo being back at the Gabba and seeing the Alpaca <3
 
Oh my little girl lost her mind at the petting zoo. She did not expect to see little goats and an alpaca on the walk to the Gabba, that's for sure!
 

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Hello LI, appreciate your work. What are the chances of opening up more food options at the Gabba? I know we are restricted by O'Briens but their vegetarian options are really limited. We generally go outside and bring food in.
It would be nice to have a Herbert Adam's veggie pastie available for purchase at the regular food stands (as is the case at the MCG), Roast veg medleys available at the Red Rooster stands and/or felafel as an option at the soulvaki stand.
 
Aug 17, 2012
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Lions_Insider hey LI, not sure who the security company is managed by. But to watch the reserves today, I went to the upper deck as one of my mates (who couldn't make it) sent me his ticket.

However, was told to vacate the area immediately as no one was allowed.

As soon as I came back down, they started letting people back in. Is there some rule the security guard was following? He was pretty rude too.
 

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Lions_Insider hey LI, not sure who the security company is managed by. But to watch the reserves today, I went to the upper deck as one of my mates (who couldn't make it) sent me his ticket.

However, was told to vacate the area immediately as no one was allowed.

As soon as I came back down, they started letting people back in. Is there some rule the security guard was following? He was pretty rude too.

Top deck isn't open for reserves games. Says that In the entry info
 

Skoob

Brownlow Medallist
Jul 6, 2010
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Understood, but immediately after I was ushered away after half time, I saw people sitting there when the 3rd quarter started. Hence my confusion
Normal gate opening time for a 4:35 game is 2:55, so that’s when the access opens up, which would have been late in the 3rd or 3/4 time.
If people were there before that, then they’re just lucky not to have been caught out.
 
I know it is not a club issue but the catering situation is getting worse. The lineups are enormous, particularly in the breaks. When you finally make your way to the front of the queue, only one register is open or there is a cash/card only register. And that’s disregarding the unopened outlets.

I’ve complained the last three weeks when I’ve seen one of their supervisors and each time the answer has been “we didn’t expect this many people”. In other words, we’re either incompetent at our job or we simply don’t care about the fan experience.

It honestly is starting to affect the enjoyment of the day. People are starting to get nasty whilst queuing and having cracks at each other and the staff. It is nearly impossible to get past one of the bar areas at half time. Last week, I counted 25 people in the queue for a drink. It takes a lot to separate me from my next beer but I honestly couldn’t be ****ed buying another drink as the wait was 20+ minutes. I’d imagine it is impossible to get a beer at quarter time and not miss any of the game.

Such was the length of the queues that people waiting had also completely blocked the walkways meaning you had to push your way through the line to move past. People with little kids were finding it impassible.

The catering company is a disgrace and has never been acceptable. This year, it seems even worse than their normal poor standards.

I think that the club should be assuring supporters that it is aware of the issues being experienced and is making every possible representation to stadium management to ensure its contracted catering company has and will be held to account for its disgraceful customer service experience.
 
I know it is not a club issue but the catering situation is getting worse. The lineups are enormous, particularly in the breaks. When you finally make your way to the front of the queue, only one register is open or there is a cash/card only register. And that’s disregarding the unopened outlets.

I’ve complained the last three weeks when I’ve seen one of their supervisors and each time the answer has been “we didn’t expect this many people”. In other words, we’re either incompetent at our job or we simply don’t care about the fan experience.

It honestly is starting to affect the enjoyment of the day. People are starting to get nasty whilst queuing and having cracks at each other and the staff. It is nearly impossible to get past one of the bar areas at half time. Last week, I counted 25 people in the queue for a drink. It takes a lot to separate me from my next beer but I honestly couldn’t be f’ed buying another drink as the wait was 20+ minutes. I’d imagine it is impossible to get a beer at quarter time and not miss any of the game.

Such was the length of the queues that people waiting had also completely blocked the walkways meaning you had to push your way through the line to move past. People with little kids were finding it impassible.

The catering company is a disgrace and has never been acceptable. This year, it seems even worse than their normal poor standards.

I think that the club should be assuring supporters that it is aware of the issues being experienced and is making every possible representation to stadium management to ensure its contracted catering company has and will be held to account for its disgraceful customer service experience.

I went to a baseball game in Minneapolis 3 days ago and the food experience was fantastic. So many great options and lines weren't more than a few deep. We had burrito bowls which were fantastic as well as very quick to make and get people served. Something like that would infinitely improve the food options. The main issue is find is that staff seem completely unprepared for breaks. How hard is it to have 30 fries ready to go 5 mins before a break. Surely not that hard. Oh and the food is bloody horrible
 
Aug 17, 2012
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Yep, get GYG, Indian food (samosas etc) into the Gabba.

They have Indian food at the Adelaide Oval and it works out fantastically well. For example, $12 for a curry, rice and a naan bread in a cold winter.

Michael O'Brien catering has been a disgrace for a long time, and it is being exposed more and more with slightly larger than expected crowds. Would argue that we have the worst food facilities in the country. Only one I haven't tried is the Marvel Stadium.
 
Sep 24, 2017
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Yep, get GYG, Indian food (samosas etc) into the Gabba.

They have Indian food at the Adelaide Oval and it works out fantastically well. For example, $12 for a curry, rice and a naan bread in a cold winter.

Michael O'Brien catering has been a disgrace for a long time, and it is being exposed more and more with slightly larger than expected crowds. Would argue that we have the worst food facilities in the country. Only one I haven't tried is the Marvel Stadium.

Marvel Stadium is fine.
 
The Suns game was the first time I had actually noticed how bad the lines were in sections 40-42. Other games I had noticed other areas had ridiculous lines. I raced to get two beers and thought I'd have one in the line whilst I lined up to get some food for the people I was with...the line was so long I'm sure I would have finished both beers and still had to wait. As you said Fatcat08 , it's not hard to have extra chips and crap food ready to go.
 
Nothing has changed from the catering mob. They have been well and truly far below standard for what should be a leading QLD venue for sport. As mentioned above there is some very very basic things that could be done to improve things. It is only now that we are getting good crowds that they are really being found out for their incompetence. The food options haven't changed in about 10 years i reckon, and there isn't a great load of options, yet they can't even work out what the best selling items are and keep good supply of it.

Really hope a successful season gives the club the pull it needs to get the stadium management to pull their finger out.
 

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