Why in NYC do we have it backwards?

[fouroneone]

Why is it cheap to enter the track ($1 or $2 gets you in, opposite of other big cities) But concessions are OUTRAGEOUS ($6 beers, $4 hot dogs, etc etc) They even put meters on the liquor bottles so that bartenders can not serve you more than exactly what one shot is.

Seems like in other cities it is a bit more expensive to get in, but there are always food and drink specials ($1 beers or hot dogs, etc)

[NEhandicapper]

I wouldn't say NYC has it backwards. The whole idea is to get you IN! Then once you're there, they rip you off. I have to admit, even though I usually avoid the concessions, it is hard to resist a beverage or an order of fries during the running of a full card.

Philly Park is ALL FREE; parking and admission. The beverage/food prices are not that bad. The resturants are average and I never had a bad meal. If you BYOB, you have to stay outside, but I've seen many walk around the grandstand with brought-ins. You just can't take a seat inside with your crew with a cooler. Also, I've seen many just leave the coolers outside by the doors and stay inside until PT - then grab a new beer after the race is run.

Anyway, I do not drink alcohol when wagering, and I always try to pack some peanuts and bottled water for live races to avoid that urge for a fry or soda purchase-this helps the bottom line tremendously

[Zman179]

NYRA totally rips off its customers for food. Yeah it's a buck to enter, but $4.75 for a slice of pepperoni pizza? $3.25 for a soda? A hot dog, small fries and a medium soda for $9.80? You've gotta be kidding me, it's such a ripoff.

When I go to Aqueduct, I always go to the corner store on 111 Street & Rockaway Blvd. 20 oz soda and a nice big hero for $5 that promptly gets smuggled into the track. NYRA can go broke for all I care.

[ryesteve]

Have you guys ever bought food or drink at any other sporting events or concerts? If so, I'm not sure why all the surprise and outrage at what NYRA charges.... especially since they let you bring coolers. Try bringing a cooler to a Yankee game or a Stones concert and see what happens.

[JustRalph]

Budweiser's are 4.75 for a 14 oz. draft in the restaurant my wife runs. She has about .87 cents in it. She pays about a buck for them......in the bottle...and she gets 4.99 for those..... .. I can't imagine what the tracks are making on some of these items.

[PaceAdvantage]

Have you guys ever bought food or drink at any other sporting events or concerts? If so, I'm not sure why all the surprise and outrage at what NYRA charges.... especially since they let you bring coolers. Try bringing a cooler to a Yankee game or a Stones concert and see what happens.

Good point

[westny]

NYRA totally rips off its customers for food. Yeah it's a buck to enter, but $4.75 for a slice of pepperoni pizza? $3.25 for a soda? A hot dog, small fries and a medium soda for $9.80? You've gotta be kidding me, it's such a ripoff. .

No surprise...the food vendors are concessions and unionized....don't know how much NYRA gets from sales or if NYRA has any choice of concession used. Either way, typical costs for a NY sporting event...Is Yankee Stadium cheaper for food/beverages?

[the little guy]

This thread is a desperate attempt to bash NYRA even by internet standards.

What's next....you were in a bathroom stall and the toilet paper dispensor got jammed?

[KingChas]

What toilet paper? :confused: Just joking!I guess not many of you have been to a Pro Football game lately?What track/sports bar doesn't have the liquor measuring device(employee theft)? And what track has $1 beers(1970's)? And why do toilets have self flushing sensors?I'm not that lazy.And if I can still bring my cooler into racetracks ala (Saratoga)I'm still a happy man! :cool:

TLG-I never take a dump at the racetracks anyway! :lol:

I agree NYRA bashing at it's unfinest.... :ThmbDown:

[the little guy]

I do one way or another on almost every visit.

If nothing else, my opinion usually leaves a stench.

[toetoe]

I know we're not supposed to blame the unions for anything, but they have at least their share of the blame. Sports fans are such masochists, they put up with long lines to pay too much money for lousy food and drink, and then they line up to, ya know, well, pass it. :blush:

[KingChas]

I do one way or another on almost every visit.

If nothing else, my opinion usually leaves a stench.


Beware the sleeping giant has awoken! ;)

[dav4463]

And what track has $1 beers(1970's)?


Lone Star Park used to have $1 beers on Friday night's Party at the Park.

Looking for a cheap date? Dollar Day returns to Lone Star Park on Saturday, April 29! Enjoy $1 hot dogs, popcorn, soft drinks, beer, programs parking and admission on top of a full day of live Thoroughbred racing action featuring the Grade III $300,000 Texas Mile!

Found this ad, but no mention of the friday night parties.

[Ron]

If I'm buying beers at the track, I'm either winning or spending someone else's money. Plus I'd rather drink out of a can then those wax cups at Saratoga.

[Tom]

Finger Lakes a $1.50 beer.

I bought a beer and a hot dog on opening day, but someone claimed the hot dog! :lol:

[Bruddah]

A couple of promotion days where beer (in cups) is .50 cents and sandwiches (roast beef & corn beef, piled on) are $1 buck. It brings in the college kids in droves. They have been doing this since I was a college kid (40+ years ago). It starts a tradition with them and their friends. I still meet some of my college buddies at Oaklawn. Now we sit in the Carousel room and bet hundreds (thousands??) of dollars.

It's also the reason that Oaklawn will outdraw many large tracks, in attendance, for their meet.

To those holding MBA's, it's called marketing and building a lifelong fan base. As I say, it worked for them almost 50 years and they have been in business over 100 years.

[Zman179]

Have you guys ever bought food or drink at any other sporting events or concerts? If so, I'm not sure why all the surprise and outrage at what NYRA charges.... especially since they let you bring coolers. Try bringing a cooler to a Yankee game or a Stones concert and see what happens.

I'm angry because prices for the same items, at Meadowlands, Monmouth, Philadelphia Park, etc., are WAY cheaper. I know damn well that prices at the track are going to be higher than outside, but I do NOT feel like paying $4.75 for a f***ing Nathan's hot dog at Aqueduct; I guarantee that it will be $5 at Belmont as they hike all of the food prices at the beginning of a meet.

[Macdiarmadillo]

Bay Meadows has a promotion for some Friday nights where they advertise $1 beers, sodas and hot dogs. Sounds good on the surface, but . . .

It is not surprising that they found such tiny dogs of such poor quality. It IS surprising that they found the tiny buns to go along with the tiny dogs.

The sodas are watered down even if you ask for "no ice". Dunno what beer they serve but I was afraid to find out. Smart people do not order sodas on the following Saturdays from the stands open on Friday as the fountain machines are often still set to dispense a minimal amount of syrup. Clearly, Pepsi doesn't care what they sell to customers.

[maxwell]

I went to an NHL hockey game with three buddies : four large draft beers : $36 :D

Dinner, hockey tickets, a little bar hopping afterwards. :eek:

The only time we don't gripe about the cost of food at the track is when we have a winning day. It's almost a ritual to buy a beer and roast beef smothered in gravy on rye when I have a good day.

[santanajimi]

One way to solve this...dont buy anything. There are plenty of little deli's around all the venues you had mentioned....just buy it and bring it in.....or eat before you get there.

[toetoe]

Mac D,

Where do you think those unfit for the "Wiener National," or whatever they call those Friday-night dachsund races, end up? :D :(

[Tom]

Finger Lakes, Stand 7! :eek:

[fouroneone]

In no way is this an attempt to bash NYRA.

I hope they keep their franchise.

the thought occured to me while watching simulcasting and seeing all the other tracks around the country with nightly or weekly food and drink specials.

(i would also imagine nyra is the only track with shot counters on the liquor bottles as well)

And the difference with OTHER sporting events in NYC is that they will fill seats no matter what they charge for food. NYRA needs people to come through the turnstiles and $6 beer isnt gonna do it.

[Sailwolf]

Bay Meadows has a promotion for some Friday nights where they advertise $1 beers, sodas and hot dogs. Sounds good on the surface, but . . .

It is not surprising that they found such tiny dogs of such poor quality. It IS surprising that they found the tiny buns to go along with the tiny dogs.

The sodas are watered down even if you ask for "no ice". Dunno what beer they serve but I was afraid to find out. Smart people do not order sodas on the following Saturdays from the stands open on Friday as the fountain machines are often still set to dispense a minimal amount of syrup. Clearly, Pepsi doesn't care what they sell to customers.

Hollywood Park has $1 beer, soda and hotdogs on Friday nights. Not bad, The hotdogs are average size.

The average age drops about 15 - 20 years vs Saturday and Sundays:)

[PaceAdvantage]

And the difference with OTHER sporting events in NYC is that they will fill seats no matter what they charge for food. NYRA needs people to come through the turnstiles and $6 beer isnt gonna do it.

Actually, I don't believe this to be true. In fact, I believe that racing is in a very unique position in that they do NOT need people to come through the turnstiles. They just need people to WAGER on the races, no matter WHERE they are....

If racing really did rely on physical attendance at the track, then there wouldn't be many tracks left in existence, as live attendance has gone nowhere but DOWN.....however, this is NOT always an accurate barometer on success when it comes to thoroughbred racing.

[turfbar]

This may or may not be relevant to this thread but 22 years ago

I lived in Rockaway Beach and went to Belmont Park every weekend'

Loved it ,and in the back behind the paddock it was just great, and they had a chicken stand there. Gawd I loved the chicken there, almost the the high point of the day nonetheless years later returned and it was gone the same is true at Saratoga the great chicken GONE. Never understood why?

Turfbar

[Valuist]

Having expensive admission does NOT preclude a track from overcharging for food or beverage.

Its $6 to get into Arlington and food and beer is not cheap by any means. I usually eat before I go there, when I actually go. Another advantage to at-home betting.

[twindouble]

Having expensive admission does NOT preclude a track from overcharging for food or beverage.

Its $6 to get into Arlington and food and beer is not cheap by any means. I usually eat before I go there, when I actually go. Another advantage to at-home betting.

Yes, there's a lot of advantages wagering from home but I don't know about you, I feel like I'm in a freaking closet, if it wasn't for the wife's love for the game and coming here, I'd be going stir crazy. :bang:


T.D.

[Valuist]

I go occasionally; at least Arlington is a beautiful track and I don't have to drive far. During the week its ok but on weekends its too crowded.

[BIG RED]

(i would also imagine nyra is the only track with shot counters on the liquor bottles as well)


Suffolk Downs has had these for years, maybe even when they first came out with them. The bartenders hated them just as much as the patrons.

SD I hardly ate at because I would be over at the beach before racing started, and pig out on great beach food :) , so I was never really hungary. If I was, never had complaints against the club house food and price. Now I tried there dining room once, just once.

[Joe L.]

I'm only physically at the track a half dozen times or so... Derby day tradition at the PHA with buddies coming up. We bring plenty of food and drink. Rest of the year it's either the NE turf club or in the managers chair in front of the TV and computer at home. I recommend the Grilled chicken bullpen sandwich at the turf club. Pretty tasty for about $8.95 and that comes with fries!!!!! :ThmbUp: :cool: