OBTENCIÓN DE LOS RESULTADOS EXPERIMENTALES

Vending machines are the simplest and fastest form of catering service, requiring no personnel and very little space. Units are available for dispensing cold beverages, hot drinks (tea, coffee and chocolate), confectionery, various types of snacks and even mini-meals. The simple fare offered, impersonality of ser-vice and cost of provision means that they cannot be a substitute for conventional catering methods.

But they do have advantages as a supplementary service:

• They can help cope with peak demand when the restaurants and concessions are over-loaded.

• They offer faster service (as little as 5 seconds for a snack and 12 seconds for a carton of tea or coffee).

• They can be located throughout the stadium, thus allowing customers from all seating areas to get a quick snack or drink without going far from their seats.

• They can offer a service 24 hours a day.

Their disadvantages are the cost of provision, their vulnerability to vandalism and the need for mainten-ance. Perhaps it is for these reasons that vending machines are not particularly widely used in sports stadia.

15.2.1 Types and dimensions

Automatic vending machines are available as floor-standing or wall-mounted types. Free-floor-standing or surface-fixed units are easiest to install or (when no longer wanted) to remove. But they are more vulnerable to vandalism than recessed types and more likely to create untidy, cluttered public areas.

Management must exercise constant vigilance if tidy stadium concourses are not to degenerate into a mess as obtrusive dispensing machines, etc. are placed in every convenient space, perhaps by con-cessionaires, without adequate control.

The larger machines are floor-mounted (up to 2 m high by 0.9 m deep by 1.2 m wide), and may be with or without legs. Refrigerated models must be mounted about 0.2 m from the wall for adequate ven-tilation. Service access for most models is from the front. The smaller machines are wall-mounted (up to 0.9 m high by 0.6 m deep by 0.7 m wide), and should be positioned at approximately chest-height so that users can operate them without having to bend over.

All the foregoing generalized comments and dimen-sions are for preliminary space estimation only, and precise data must be obtained from manufacturers, suppliers or proposed concession holders.

15.2.2 Shell and service requirements

Though the vending machines may be owned and installed by concession holders the stadium man-agement will have to make adequate provision to receive them. Most machines will require some or all of the following services, with isolating switches and valves, depending on the types of product they dispense:

• An electrical supply (probably single-phase) for illumination, power, beverage making, microwave heating and chilling.

• Mains water supply, possibly to a specified pres-sure, for beverage making.

• Hot water supply nearby for cleaning.

• Drainage outlet for overflow and cleaning.

To cope with spillages and deliberate vandalism all surfaces surrounding food and beverage machines must be durable and impervious, and detailed for easy cleaning. Lighting must be excellent to attract customers, to allow instructions to be easily read and to deter vandalism.

Management should provide disposal bins with self-closing flaps and leakproof inner linings adjacent to all machines. These are to receive discarded wrap-pings, waste food, and the half-emptied beverage cartons which so quickly turn any area into a sordid situation if proper provision is not made.

15.2.3 Locations and scales of provision

Automatic vending machines are usually provided in areas where space does not allow for a concession kiosk. The latter will always be more popular than machines where there is a free choice. The number

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of machines to be installed may be calculated from the number of snacks to be served in a given period such as ten minutes. Specialist contractors will be able to give expert advice.

15.2.4 Ownership and leasing arrangements Automatic vending machines may be purchased by the stadium owner, or installed by a vending com-pany who will then provide services such as regular re-stocking, cleaning and maintenance under con-tract. If a contract arrangement is envisaged, the information given above must be checked with pro-posed contractors to ensure that the stadium design allows for their requirements.

15.3 Concessions

These are the next simplest form of catering. Like automatic vending machines they are economi-cal on space, but being staffed they offer a more people-friendly service and are less likely to be immo-bilized by mechanical breakdown. There are three basic types of concession kiosk, each dependent on food type.

Confectionery kiosks

All the products are wrapped and non-perishable, therefore no equipment is required and the stand is very simple. Its essential components are storage, display space and a servery; it may be little more than a counter. Choice of food is necessarily limited, but there is the possibility of the stadium selling its

‘own-brand’ products. Gifts and memorabilia may also be sold at these outlets.

Snack bar kiosks

These sell heated food (such as pies and rolls) and hot drinks and therefore need some basic equip-ment, such as heat/hold cupboards. The kiosk nor-mally consists of a front servery counter and a back storage/preparation counter (Figure 15.2), with the staff acting both as ‘servers’ and ‘collectors’.

Fast-food kiosks

Cooking and preparation takes place in these kiosks, which sell items such as burgers, steaks, chicken or chips. The kiosk therefore has a complete island

‘feed-through’ bench with separate counter staff (who serve) and support staff (who cook the food and load the shelves).

A major decision to be taken when there are mul-tiple kiosks throughout the stadium is whether they should be serviced from a central cooking kitchen, or do their own cooking.

The advantages of a central kitchen are that more food varieties can be made available; that equip-ment duplication is minimized; that food storage conditions are better controlled; that kiosk staff do not need to be as skilled; that precooking can be done at the most effective times; and that cooking can be combined with restaurant cooking.

The advantages of kiosk cooking are that output and demand can be more closely matched; that the cooked food may be fresher than if brought in from a distant kitchen; that ‘good food smells’ in a concourse can be a marketing advantage; and that kiosk staff are offered more responsibility and opportunities.

SERVING MODULE 2600 MM

Food Bev. Food

Single exit

EquipmentQueue zoneTill service

Till Till

Figure 15.2 Schematic layout of typical ‘snack bar’ kiosk, where food preparation is not required.

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Subject to the comments above on various kiosk types, the essential elements of any take-away stand except the simplest are a serving counter, storage space and preparation space. The basic principles are to design the counter so that the per-son serving needs only to turn to the right or left to reach the majority of items on sale, and to avoid cross-overs with other staff. The counter may need a security screen to the concourse, and this must be designed for aesthetic compatibility with the sta-dium as a whole, not be fitted by the caterer as an afterthought.

Precise layout and dimensions will vary with the type of food and beverage on sale and the scale of operation. If there are multiple kiosks in the stadium their design should be standardized throughout.

Initially, this should mean economies in equipment purchases, and it will also make it easier for staff to transfer from one kiosk to another without retraining.

If people are likely to congregate near the stand to consume their purchases, the area they will take up may be estimated at 0.5 m² to 0.6 m² per person.

There should be plenty of wall-shelves and free-standing shelf units for the use of people with food and drinks.

15.3.2 Locations and scales of provision

The primary locations for concession kiosks are as close as possible to the access vomitories and con-courses, planned so that queues do not obstruct cir-culation. A total allowance of 1.5 m of counter length per 300 spectators is a figure used in some football stadia, but it may need to be increased where inter-vals are shorter and the crush for service greater.

The principal factors involved are match qual-ity, weather and how easy it is to get service, all of which have an impact on spectator demand.

15.3.3 Shell and service requirements

Except for the most basic stands, selling only packets of confectionery and the like, the prepara-tion space should be provided with the following ser-vices (incorporating isolating switches and valves):

• Hot and cold water supply and drainage outlet.

• Electrical supply and lighting, with three-phase outlets for cooking.

• Mechanical ventilation, and an extracting sys-tem above the cooking and food preparation apparatus.

• General space heating or cooling for staff comfort, depending on the extremes of temperature likely to be encountered.

15.4 Bars

Even if it is decided that alcohol will not be served during certain sporting events, the provision of bar facilities may still be necessary because the stadium will be used at other times for purposes where such a service will be demanded. Bars of various types may have to be provided.

• At one extreme, intensively used crush bars in public concourses, where large numbers of cus-tomers must be quickly served during half-time.

These will be highly functional in design, with mul-tiple serving points, and designed for a high pro-portion of standees.

• At the other extreme, intimate bars in club lounges or luxury dining facilities, where the emphasis will be on a luxurious setting and high-quality service, with comfortable seating for customers who are in no hurry.

There may well be several intermediate grades of bar facility, and portable bars may be necessary for some functions.

15.4.1 Layouts and dimensions

For preliminary space planning purposes it is advis-able to allow a customer area of roughly 0.5 m² per person if everyone stands or 1.1 m² plus per person if half are seated.

The standard bar layout consists of a counter, backed by a serving space, and behind that a shelf for drinks display and preparation, and drinks/glasses storage below or above the counter. If it is compat-ible with the stadium policy on concessions, part of the counter, perhaps 3m to 5m in length, may be devoted to serving snacks heated in a microwave oven, and probably coffee.

It makes for economy and efficiency if a central serving area is accessible to several bars, saloons or lounges, with bar tenders able to go to the counter

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where they are needed. The servery should always have direct access to the storage area and possibly a small kitchen.

15.4.2 Locations and scales of provision

There are no particular rules regarding location, and bars should be located where space is available.

At any one time one metre of counter length could accommodate between five standing customers being served (crowded) and three (more comfort-able). For customers seated on stools counter length is 0.6 m per person.

15.4.3 Shell and service requirements

The bar area should be set back from the circulation route to reduce congestion, and must be fitted with a roll-down grille or shutter to provide security when the bar is not in use. The grille arrangement should be aesthetically compatible with the stadium design and not a later addition.

If the provision of bar services are to be contracted out to specialists who will be fitting out the spaces to their own specifications, the shell should be pro-vided with the following services (incorporating iso-lating switches and valves):

• Hot and cold water supply and drainage outlet.

• Electrical supply and lighting, possibly with three-phase outlets for cooking.

• Mechanical ventilation, and an extract sys-tem above the cooking and food preparation apparatus.

• General space heating or cooling for staff comfort, depending on the extremes of temperature likely to be encountered.

15.4.4 Ancillary accommodation

There must be storage facilities for drinks (and, in large premises, perhaps also for kitchen supplies).

WCs and washbasins must be provided adjacent to bars, and such facilities should be easily accessible and clearly signposted. The provision of toilets is covered in Chapter 11. In most countries this matter is governed by law, and the scales of provision must be checked with the authorities in each case. In the UK the relevant statutes are:

• The Licensing Acts – for all premises where alco-hol is to be served.

• The Public Health Act of 1936, Section 89 and the Food Hygiene [General] Regulations – for all refreshment houses where food and drink are sold.

• The Offices Shops and Railway Premises Act – for employee facilities.

It is most economical if toilets, which are very costly, are located to serve a variety of nearby facilities;

and the whole stadium should be planned with this in mind (see Chapter 16).

15.5 Self-service cafeterias, food courts and