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Food & Beverage: The Aramark Era begins

djtruefitt said:
Merlin removed full fat coke from pizza pasta a good few years ago, pretty sure when the sugar tax came in, and that was before Aramark.

So there is no excuse to remove fizzy drinks except for pure cost cutting and more profit.

A few other F&B updates, waffles have gone from mutiny bay to be replaced by jacket potatoes. The hot dog and nachos windows have been blocked up and now replaced by self service screens.

However these screens don’t allow annual pass discount (I believe other machines elsewhere still alloy it) so you have to order at the till.
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The jacket potatoes are more like large new potatoes. Very, very small. Unfortunate as the fillings were of reasonable flavour.
 
The pass discount situation is so daft now all over the resort.

Tavern? Walk up to the bar, order in person and show your pass. Nice and easy.

On park kiosk places? Can’t use those and have to queue and order in person.

Oak in Chains for a simple drink? Queue at the bar, be handed an order screen, put in what you want and tell the staff the exact same thing who will start pouring the drinks. Hand the screen back, they enter the code (in between pouring drinks) and then they hand it back to you to pay. Absolutely ridiculous system that’s just putting more pressure on staff to stay on top of orders.

Crooked Spoon you order via QR code but you need to collar a server to get the discount code to enter yourself.

Just a bit of common sense is needed to have a consistent process across the resort. Merlin are still really pushing annual passes, and the subsequent retail/f&b discounts that come with it - stop making it such an effort to redeem them. We’ve been saying for years to just let people scan their pass to validate the discount, with all this investment in tech as part of the order process, put a bit of effort into the passholder experience.

Going back to Crooked Spoon, I’ll echo Dave’s comments that it was pretty good in there and quite enjoyable. The caveat to that is we were eating first thing when it opened at 5:30pm, so it remains to be seen if they’ll cope just as well when full and midway through service. The menu is pretty basic (wings, burgers, tenders and the half chicken probably being the most complex dish) but it all came out nicely presented and very quickly. It’s nice to have a quicker service place to get a sit down meal versus the chaos of the buffet in Splash or Secret Garden’s often lengthy waits. Being in and out of the place within the hour was really handy with a late opening park.

It’s good to see changes made to the breakfast layout in there too, with everything located in on end of the restaurant now instead of being squeezed in on multiple walls. Whether it makes a difference or not remains to be seen, but it’s nice to see some effort being put into trying to improve what is probably the most stressful of breakfasts on resort!
 
In RCR it had the same tablets as oak in chains, and of course every time you want to pay you have to grab a staff member to put the secret annual pass code on. Not great when there are four of you all paying separately for food and drink. You could tell the staff were annoyed they had to keep doing it as well.
 
Craig said:
Just a bit of common sense is needed to have a consistent process across the resort. Merlin are still really pushing annual passes, and the subsequent retail/f&b discounts that come with it - stop making it such an effort to redeem them. We’ve been saying for years to just let people scan their pass to validate the discount, with all this investment in tech as part of the order process, put a bit of effort into the passholder experience.
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The concern will be the sharing of barcodes / photos of barcodes with those who don't have a pass. The clever way to mitigate it is to only activate a pass for an eligible discount if it's been used to access a park that day, but that requires a little more technical plumbing than just a valid pass check and is unlikely to happen. It would still be open to abuse, of course, just not as much.

Frustratingly, I know that the Uniware systems they use have this sort of functionality built in. They just have to ask for it to be enabled and connected.

I'm sure the issue is likely finding a party to take responsibility for it, and with so many outsourced partners now involved, it makes it all the more trickier to navigate. Problems of their own doing, of course, and certainly not excusable.
 
GooseOnTheLoose said:
The concern will be the sharing of barcodes / photos of barcodes with those who don't have a pass. The clever way to mitigate it is to only activate a pass for an eligible discount if it's been used to access a park that day, but that requires a little more technical plumbing than just a valid pass check and is unlikely to happen. It would still be open to abuse, of course, just not as much.
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If they ever did introduce scanning the pass to validate the discount, I wonder if a simpler way to deal with pass fraud would just be a visual check at some point in the transaction. A bit like when a train conductor asks to see your railcard if you’ve used the discount.
 
Mi-Nigle said:
If they ever did introduce scanning the pass to validate the discount, I wonder if a simpler way to deal with pass fraud would just be a visual check at some point in the transaction. A bit like when a train conductor asks to see your railcard if you’ve used the discount.
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Possible, especially as all passes have photos on them. The other option would be NFC in the pass card, meaning it would have to be physically presented. You could even implement this with Google and Apple wallets, for those who don't have cards.
 
It’s really quite incredible how convoluted a system they require to obtain said discount. I’m sure discounts are probably abused to some extent, but it’s not like anyone’s getting free food - they’re just not making quite as much on the already exorbitantly priced food.

Even Pleasure Beach have managed to design a system that scans your pass for a discount and doing so will also benefit them via the data points they’ll gather.

It’s a mad approach, but perhaps not surprising from a company who charges £10 for a hot dog.
 
Could they not just have an app for the annual pass that generates a bespoke animated QR code when the app is open.

As soon as the app is closed or offline the QR code is no longer valid - stops people screenshotting and sharing. Can even build this into Apple / Google wallet.

Similar to how some tickets work for gigs, theatres etc.

Then just scan the code onto the tablets or at the tills by a cashier.
 
Think the thing that a lot of people are forgetting is that we're talking about two separate companies here... Merlin operates the annual pass, and has ownership of that related data, but Aramark operate the food outlets, and so provide the systems necessary for discount.

Of course this doesn't make anything impossible - there are definitely ways to allow data to legitimately be shared between organisations. But it's a small hurdle... enough of a hurdle to make it difficult.
 
Islander said:
Think the thing that a lot of people are forgetting is that we're talking about two separate companies here... Merlin operates the annual pass, and has ownership of that related data, but Aramark operate the food outlets, and so provide the systems necessary for discount.

Of course this doesn't make anything impossible - there are definitely ways to allow data to legitimately be shared between organisations. But it's a small hurdle... enough of a hurdle to make it difficult.
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It's almost like outsourcing catering in major theme park sites, with complex pass systems and discount options doesn't make a lot of sense....
 
Islander said:
Think the thing that a lot of people are forgetting is that we're talking about two separate companies here... Merlin operates the annual pass, and has ownership of that related data, but Aramark operate the food outlets, and so provide the systems necessary for discount.

Of course this doesn't make anything impossible - there are definitely ways to allow data to legitimately be shared between organisations. But it's a small hurdle... enough of a hurdle to make it difficult.
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and none of this should be the guests problem. Alton Towers should have worked this out with Aramark prior to allowing them to install the self-service kiosks.
If we didn't have Aramark then complaint is still the same, AT should have solved the AP discount before going ahead.
 
Islander said:
Think the thing that a lot of people are forgetting is that we're talking about two separate companies here... Merlin operates the annual pass, and has ownership of that related data, but Aramark operate the food outlets, and so provide the systems necessary for discount.

Of course this doesn't make anything impossible - there are definitely ways to allow data to legitimately be shared between organisations. But it's a small hurdle... enough of a hurdle to make it difficult.
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I did allude to this, but I wasn't as specific as I could be (and normally am... bad goose).

If you dive into the privacy policies, Aramark are not currently listed as a data processor for Merlin, which means there isn't presently a data sharing agreement between them. The systems which are currently in operation reflect this siloed reality accurately and explain why the redemption process is as convoluted as it is.

There are many legitimate compliance headaches why Aramark might not want to pursue a data sharing agreement; such as the sheer, terrifying liability of it all. There's also the administrative cost of handling Subject Access Requests and Right to be Forgotten mandates across a shared database, which are a legal headache no catering contractor wants to absorb.

There are elegant, established workarounds that both companies could implement to entirely bypass the need for a terrifying data sharing agreement though.

GDPR applies exclusively to personally identifiable information. It doesn't care a about anonymised data. Aramark’s tills don't need to know who you are, they only need to know that the pass you have presented is valid, active and entitled to a 20% discount on a tepid hot dog.

This is where tokenisation comes into play. Whilst your Merlin membership number and barcode fall into the protected data bucket, a simple True / False validity ping does not.

If Merlin were to finally build a dedicated, functional Passholder app (or properly utilise Apple/Google Wallet integrations), they could generate a dynamic validity token. This could be transmitted via an NFC tap or a time sensitive, single use QR code at the self serve kiosks. The system essentially whispers to the till: "This is an active pass entitled to a discount" without ever handing over your name, pass number or email address to Aramark.

It's the digital equivalent of a teenager glancing at the expiration date on your plastic card and pressing the discount button, just infinitely more secure and frictionless. The technology exists, the API links are standard in Uniware; they just need the corporate will (and budget) to actually plug the two pipes together.
JAperson said:
It's almost like outsourcing catering in major theme park sites, with complex pass systems and discount options doesn't make a lot of sense....
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Tell that to Disney and Universal. They manage perfectly well.
jon81uk said:
and none of this should be the guests problem. Alton Towers should have worked this out with Aramark prior to allowing them to install the self-service kiosks.
If we didn't have Aramark then complaint is still the same, AT should have solved the AP discount before going ahead.
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Nothing to do with Alton Towers at all. They're not the data controller.
 
GooseOnTheLoose said:
Tell that to Disney and Universal. They manage perfectly well.
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Fair point, but I will say they are operating massively different operations, and actually have a simpler pass system, with fewer properties to manage. Also I think the contract and working arrangements between Merlin and Aramark clearly aren't functioning very well, and these could have been sorted with a longer transition period. I will also say they are operating park themed outlets as opposed to say operating a franchise within the park, as what used to happen with Mcdonalds on site. Being honest I am unsure how the Disney and Universal operations are set out, but clearly there system seems to work a hell of a lot better, and Merlin's seemed to mostly work when it was in-house.
 
JAperson said:
Fair point, but I will say they are operating massively different operations, and actually have a simpler pass system, with fewer properties to manage. Also I think the contract and working arrangements between Merlin and Aramark clearly aren't functioning very well, and these could have been sorted with a longer transition period. I will also say they are operating park themed outlets as opposed to say operating a franchise within the park, as what used to happen with Mcdonalds on site. Being honest I am unsure how the Disney and Universal operations are set out, but clearly there system seems to work a hell of a lot better, and Merlin's seemed to mostly work when it was in-house.
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Merlin and Aramark only have to work with each other, and the pass discount issue is specific only to their UK properties. Discounting the Midways, which barely have an F&B service worth noting, both Universal (5) and Disney (6) operate more parks in the US than Merlin (5, if we include Warwick Castle) do in the UK.

Disney and Universal run a hybrid model using high street franchises and large specialised hospitality groups. Many remain in house. They are spinning many more plates with a vast range of providers, but use integrated technology and strict standards so the customer never feels the friction
 
GooseOnTheLoose said:
Disney and Universal run a hybrid model using high street franchises and large specialised hospitality groups. Many remain in house. They are spinning many more plates with a vast range of providers, but use integrated technology and strict standards so the customer never feels the friction
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Well isn't this basically how Merlin/Tussauds used to work with minimal issue's? Makes you wonder why they didn't just bring in major brands again at Towers.
 
GooseOnTheLoose said:
Nothing to do with Alton Towers at all. They're not the data controller.
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The are the operator of the park though, from the guests perspective the issue has nothing to do with who the data controller is, its a simple "Alton Towers installed touch-screen order kiosks and now I can't easily get my annual pass discount". Looking purely at guest experience it is Alton Towers who appear to have control over the space. Its about the ordering method being easy to use.

GooseOnTheLoose said:
Tell that to Disney and Universal. They manage perfectly well.
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This is where Disney do things differently in different places. I've not held an annual pass so will cavaet that is not the system I am directly commenting about, but I did notice the difference when redeeming Disney Dining Plan credits.
When inside a Disney theme park, the whole transaction takes place on a Disney till, with a Disney-branded receipt even if the specific outlet is third-party operated (such as the Mexico pavilion), we get one Disney branded receipt.
But when at Disney Springs, the order was entered into the establishments till system and then the Disney terminal only used to deduct the dining plan credits or charge to our room account as required. We then get two receipts, one from the establishments till and a separate Disney receipt for the dining plan deductions.
Its possible in these cases for annual pass discount the outlet just looks at the pass card and gives 10% off on their own till system without it passing through Disney's for authorisation. Officially they need to show the pass in the app and a government ID to get the discounts (https://www.disneyworld.co.uk/passholder-program/passholder-benefits-and-discounts/). For places in the theme park that accept mobile order you need to be logged in to the app to use mobile order anyway and therefore any relevant discounts you have will be applied (https://www.disneyworld.co.uk/faq/my-disney-experience/mobile-order-discounts/).
 
JAperson said:
Well isn't this basically how Merlin/Tussauds used to work with minimal issue's? Makes you wonder why they didn't just bring in major brands again at Towers.
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Bringing major brands back to Towers would likely break the current pass system. High street franchises rarely have the margins to absorb a 20% discount and Merlin would be unwilling to subsidise it.

Sticking to one provider like Aramark allows a prioritisation of their own margins and logistical simplicity, over the variety and perceived quality a multi provider hybrid model offers.

US data privacy and sharing rules also aren't as strict as ours, minimising some of the issues we've been discussing earlier.
 
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