News

C-Speak video explores mobile order pickup at Cincinnati Reds stadium

January 26, 2018

Ballpark Express, a mobile order pickup station at the Cincinnati Reds Great American Ballpark, was featured in a C-Speak video interview on QSR Web, a sister publication of Kiosk Marketplace.

A fan retrieves a snack from the Ballpark Express.

Shelly Whitehead, editor of QSR Web and Pizza Marketplace, interviewed officials from the Cincinnati Reds, Delaware North Sportservice and Apex Supply Chain Technologies.

The first such system at a major league stadium in the U.S., Ballpark Express allows fans to skip the concession line by ordering their food on the official MLB Ballpark app. When the order is ready, a bar code is sent to the fan's phone. The barcode allows the fan to access the door to the pickup locker.

Don Dierig, general manager, Delaware North Sportservice, which operates the concessions, said the company felt the system provided a good way for fans to order food.

"Theoretically, they should never have to wait in line," he said.

Phil Castellini, chief operating officer of the Cincinnati Reds, said fan response has been overwhelmingly positive.

"I would say fans have been waiting for this for years," he said. He said the convenience will improve food and beverage sales.

Kent Savage, founder and CEO of Apex Supply Chain Technologies, which supplied the technology, said the concept can work in other venues.

"By having the orders come in digitally, the provider, the foodservice company or quick-serve restaurant, can now prepare those orders and stage them, and let the customer know when it's ready," Savage said. "Everybody wins."