Islander
TS Member
Never underestimate the ability of large corporations to find legal ways out of contracts early!
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ℹ️ Heads up...
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Food & Beverage: The Aramark Era begins
- Thread starter AT86
- Start date
Alix
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Balder BEEP BEEP
If they keep failing their KPIs that could trigger a break clause. But more likely to trigger a “get well” programme which will take ages
Matt.GC
TS Member
Interesting quote from an interview with Merlin CEO about F&B:
He’s got his work cut out if this is a genuine ambition. Let’s hope it’s not just words.
Full interview:
Interview - Scott O'Neil | attractionsmanagement.com
From a background in sports management, the new CEO of Merlin Entertainments has big plans for the world’s second largest attractions group.www.attractionsmanagement.com
Surely all the evidence has to point to this just being words?
They already had a pretty lame food offering to begin with and then decided to downgrade it further quite significantly. It's like them admitting that the Smiler is tearing itself apart, pledging to build the best coaster in it's place, but in the meantime here's a second hand Pinfari Whacky Worm.
If that's the CEO saying that kind of crap then it makes me even more worried about the future of Merlin RTP's than I already was to begin with.
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
In fairness, the Aramark deal was struck before Scott O'Neil was appointed CEO, as far as I'm aware. Maybe O'Neil intends for the company to either renegotiate its contract with Aramark or move away from them in the long term?
Zeock
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Journey to the Center of the Earth
He said in the interview that there are some Merlin attractions that already offer amazing food, which points towards Merlin not doing much to change the F&B offerings, or perhaps he's simply ignorant.
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
Perhaps he's referring to those that don't currently have Aramark food, such as Heide Park and Gardaland?
Zeock
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Journey to the Center of the Earth
Perhaps, but the food there is probably not 'amazing' (although Theme Park Worldwide did say that the food at Heide was 'absolutely delicious').
Matt.GC
TS Member
Correct. But to say something so far away from the reality of the attractions he presides over as CEO currently, it sounds like he's either incompetent, out of touch or spouting little more than spin.
If they had a mountain to climb to get to the point where the reality matched his words from the starting point of a couple of years ago, they now have to do it barefoot wading through treacle.
Alix
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Balder BEEP BEEP
Yes but Shawn also said in his Phantasialand vlog that he only likes chicken and chips and fish and chips - and didn’t like the pasta as it’s not his thing. Nothing against him but I don’t think he’s the most reliable food critic.
Zeock
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Journey to the Center of the Earth
I agree. I only used him as an example because he is well-known, and has been there.
Benzin
TS Member
People who don't like pasta cannot be trusted.
James
TS Founding Member
Does the Aramark deal only cover UK parks? Do the US and European properties manage their own F&B? Let's not forget Merlin is more than a handful of parks in the UK.
Given that Coach House Confectionary at Towers serves decent/themed (I know, debatable) food and that is Aramark managed, then that suggests that Merlin has more control of F&B than we are led to believe.
I'm not a fan of this whole Aramark debacle, but it's clear Merlin can do more to improve food quality/range in conjunction with Aramark, it's simply a matter of whether they can be bothered. If people pay for the crap they serve now, we're unlikely to see any change soon!
Given that Coach House Confectionary at Towers serves decent/themed (I know, debatable) food and that is Aramark managed, then that suggests that Merlin has more control of F&B than we are led to believe.
I'm not a fan of this whole Aramark debacle, but it's clear Merlin can do more to improve food quality/range in conjunction with Aramark, it's simply a matter of whether they can be bothered. If people pay for the crap they serve now, we're unlikely to see any change soon!
AT86
TS Member
It covers UK parks and Legolands New York and Florida.
Thameslink Rail
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- The Smiler
It also includes Legoland California
AT86
TS Member
Yes apologies, it’s Florida and California - not New York, that one wasn’t included for some reason.
jon81uk
TS Member
source: included in the photo
Thats brilliant, what a depressing looking burger
How do the know it’s vile? Doesn’t look like a bite has been taken from it? By looks alone it looks like a very average hamburger. It seems some people just want to moan (and it’s “trendy” to hate on the Merlin theme park food), particularly in those sort of annual pass groups.
Would have been better to say the hamburger what was wrong, dry, tasteless, not enough sauce, too much onion, stale bun, etc.
Steve74
TS Member
The fact that it's sat on foil and all you can really see is the top of the roll makes it look like a home made bap, not a fast food burger!
Could be going for the Five Guys aesthetic, they wrap theirs in foil and charge similar prices...
That does look suspiciously like the dodgy sandwiches I make in Warburtons pre-sliced baps though...