An article on Ball Park all you can eat tickets, and how unhealthy ball park food is.

All-you-can-eat sections at big-league parks

BALTIMORE — Matthew Cavalier had a seat in Section 280 for a late June game between the Orioles and Athletics at Camden Yards. But for a good portion of the fourth inning, he chose to watch the game on TV from inside the concourse. That way, he could be closer to the food.

The all-you-can-eat food — the nachos, hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, lemonade, sodas and ice cream — that he was entitled to with the purchase of a ticket in the Orioles’ Left Field Club Picnic Perch was that big of a draw.”It’s an easier walk,” Cavalier said.

The left-field sections at Camden Yards are part of the growing trend of all-you-can-eat style options in major league ballparks. At a cost of $40 per ticket in the section, fans are entitled to a buffet-style choice that includes all the above-mentioned foods and even salad — you know, in case you are feeling guilty.

“It’s a great deal, especially for the teams that aren’t selling out every game,” Cavalier said. “The Phillies, Yankees and all them are always going to be fine. They don’t need to do this. But for fans of, say, this team, it’s a good plan.”

The Orioles aren’t the only franchise attempting to boost attendance in slacking sections with the promotion. Nineteen of the 30 major league teams offer the all-you-can-eat seats at some games in 2010, up from 13 two years ago and six in 2007.
Knowing many fans like Cavalier will spend more than $40 on a ticket and food, teams target fans like him and lure him with the value of the ticket. And with his penchant for going back for more (Cavalier said he usually eats “double to triple” in the all-you-can-eat seats as he normally does at an Orioles game), he also embodies the concerns of nutritionists and the questions of responsibility that have followed the trend since its inception.

“Well, it’s all-you-can-eat,” Cavalier said, shrugging. “I figure I might as well take advantage of it.”

Blurring the line between value and gluttony is something that worries nutritionists and health professionals about the promotion. “Anytime you have an open buffet, people are more likely to eat more and drink more,” said Lona Sandon, a registered dietician and American Dietetic Association national spokesman. “It’s perceived as cost-effective. Well, not when it comes to your health.”

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/baseball/mlb/all-star-ballpark-menu/index.html INTERACTIVE: Pick from the best stadium foods from across the major leagues with our All-Star Ballpark Menu
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/baseball/mlb/all-star-ballpark-menu/index.html

According to the American Medical Association, nearly 34 percent of all American adults and 17 percent of children are obese. Put in context, these numbers raise the question: Is it socially responsible for teams to set up these all-you-can-eat sections?

Teams say the intention is not for fans to gorge themselves on the food, but many fans say it often comes with the culture of being at the ballpark. Even as Orioles fan Michele Sparklin ate a salad and said she yearned for choices like a grilled chicken wrap, she admitted to overindulging in hot dogs — and food in general — while sitting in the section. “When there’s a hot dog in your face, you have to take it,” she said.

Cavalier walked back to his seat before the bottom half of the fourth inning, third hot dog in not more than 10 minutes in hand.
“I mostly go for the hot dogs,” he said. “One good thing about this is that they have cold stuff like ice cream. I’ve had a bunch of the ice cream. Oh, I tried one thing of salad too, because last year they didn’t have a salad.

Tried? “I didn’t eat all of it,” Cavalier said. “It’s nice that they’re trying for healthier stuff,,26,600996,0,22370,67.202.146.140
600995,591470,600925,2010-07-20 14:31:00.153000000,Re:Serial Stalker”

  I try to eat at a place within walking distance to the ball park just so I don’t have to endure long lines, inflated prices, and crappy food to boot. I’ll have a few beers there so I don’t pay $8.00 for a 16 oz beer at the park. Peanuts are generally sold outside the park for a buck a bag as opposed to 3-4 dollars inside. I can’t see spending $200.00 for a family of four at the game.

JMHO

David O.

Our Frisco Roughriders (Ranger AA) has the Teddy section for and additional $18 per ticket – well worth it when it comes to my 16 yo son who could EASILY put away 6-8 hot dogs, a couple of sodas, nachos and ice cream over the course of the game (Then wants to stop at Sonic on the way home). I wish I could put it away like that and have his phisque! Otherwise, it’s $9 for a great seat. I don’t miss The Ballpark at Arlington and we get to see several Rangers on rehab assignments. The food is average (taste-wise) but there’s something very relaxing about a beer, a bag of peanuts and a plain hot dog at a ball game.

I’m with BillyB – I love buffets. Not so much for the amount as the variety – especially for foods I would not generally cook at home – i.e. Indian & Chinese. As a kid, El Fenix (local Mexican in DFW) had a .99 kids buffet and adults were $1.99 (late 60s) Our family of six would roll in and wipe out a buffet line (3 boys) My younger brother could put away 8-10 enchiladas, several tacos with rice and beans – I’m sure they lost money on us!

  I try to eat at a place within walking distance to the ball park just so I don’t have to endure long lines, inflated prices, and crappy food to boot. I’ll have a few beers there so I don’t pay $8.00 for a 16 oz beer at the park. Peanuts are generally sold outside the park for a buck a bag as opposed to 3-4 dollars inside. I can’t see spending $200.00 for a family of four at the game.

  JMHO

  David O.

I was a victim of one of those baseball buffets on Monday evening.
 
One of my vendors rented a pavilion at the Triple A Scranton Yankees.  The food was horrible, prepared well in advance and kept hot, not warm, but hot in aluminum trays.  We were served mushy Berks hot dogs and dried out chicken with a ketchup-like bbq sauce.  But the one that won first prize was the burgers.  They took those cheap frozen burgers, you know, the ones with the grill marks painted on them.  Stacked them in an aluminum pan covered with foil, and baked then in the oven.  Just imagine what they looked like let alone what they tasted like.  The covered baking method left the burgers just about their original size, complete with all the softened fat and grizzle[xx(]
 
 

I think the Buffet restaurants need to change their image a little and emphasize the VARIETY not the amount.  I am a picky eater.  I like a little of this and a little of that.  And don’t let the different foods mix and mingle on my plate.  Sometimes I want a little spoonful of coleslaw to go with my catfish other times I want a bit of greens instead. I really don’t want a whole lot of veggies messing with my meat!!! I like to put my own salads together and not eat someone else s idea of what a salad is. there is only one “make your own” salad bar in this town.  It’s terrible.  The “make your own” is a minimal salad bar but I will choose it over the “house” salads of other places.  I like a certain amount of tomatoes to lettuce ratio and I like cheese and real bacon bits (not that hard faux crap).  Cracker Barrel is about the only place that I consistently order a salad at that is a house salad and not a “make your own” (lots of cheese & lots of real bacon).

These food morons think that people “splurge” all the time when it comes to food.  Besides over eating gets in the way of other things… and it’s not drinking [8D]

Hey Dr, when I go to a Mariners game I get seats in the All Star club. They have a bar, prime rib carving station and buffet, cheese trays, all kinds of snacks, dips, ribs, chicken, salads, Dogs, Ice cream, and all kinds of desserts, free pop and juices…Its up to me to control my food intake, all you can eat is variety to me, not eating all night long…….It also gets in the way of drinking………….Take care buddy………………Billyb

When I am out, I am treating myself so if I want to be a “glutton” at an “all you can eat” buffet, that is my personal decision. The food nazi’s are really coming out of the woodwork lately and any restaurant owner should be concerned.