Mobile concession truck in the works for State College pools. Some worry of negative effects
Mobile concessions at State College area pools and parks will be a possibility next year, as the Centre Region Council of Governments’ general forum voted to amend its budget to purchase a food truck.
As part of the 2022 budget deliberations, the Centre Region Parks and Recreation placed an item in the budget regarding a potential mobile concession unit, D. Richard Francke, chair of the COG general forum, said. But at the time, the finance committee asked for a business plan before they could determine if that was needed.
That plan was presented this summer and eventually made its way to the general forum, consisting of State College Borough, and College, Harris, Ferguson, Halfmoon and Patton townships, meeting on Monday. After an hour and a half of discussion, the COG approved a $132,000 budget amendment 3-2, with State College Borough and Ferguson Township voting against it. Halfmoon abstained from the vote, as the township is not part of CRPR.
The plan
Kristy Owens, recreation services manager at Centre Region Parks and Recreation, presented the mobile concessions unit business plan during the meeting on Monday. The plan states “a mobile concession truck will provide flexibility, and ‘on-the-go’ food and beverage service at agency locations, while also generating money to reinvest into the operation and/or the agency.”
“We have a very successful concession operation right now at Oak Hall Regional Park, as many of you know, if you visit there, you’ve tasted the foods that are out there. We’re looking to do the same concept just in a mobile version,” Owens said. “So we’re really not looking to compete in the food industry … as much as just trying to provide that service to our patrons that we feel that they need.”
It would serve Welch and Park Forest pools during the majority of the summer season, and the John Hess Softball Complex until a permanent concession facility is built, according to the plan. But when the mobile concession vehicle is operational largely depends on when the vehicle is purchased and how much work is required for it to be ready.
Proposed menu items include hot dogs/corn dogs, hamburgers/veggie burgers, breakfast sandwiches, chicken nuggets, pizza, soups, fruit, ice cream, hot and cold drinks, French/sweet potato fries, chips/candy, soft pretzels, and pre-made salads.
CRPR expects there to be 120 operational days/year for the concession unit, Owens said. The net revenue could pay for itself within the first three to five years of operation, based on CRPR’s estimation. After that, the funds could be used to offset municipal contributions in a parks and recreation operating budget, or, if expanding the program is needed, the funds could go toward another mobile concession vehicle.
The business plan calls for hiring a concessions manager, mobile unit site supervisor(s) and up to eight new part-time staff.
Concerns
Numerous concerns were brought up among some elected officials and one resident, and much conversation was around whether the mobile concession unit would negatively impact local businesses.
State College Borough council member Nalini Krishnankutty asked if there was ever a request for proposals for local food trucks to be at the pools or softball complex. Jeff Hall, CRPR sports supervisor, said the last request went out around 2019. In previous years, they received very few responses or none at all. And when they did have food trucks at places like Hess Field, they didn’t “perform like we needed them to,” Hall said.
Owens said CRPR has reached out to a lot of food trucks to attend their special events, but it’s hard for them to commit to a schedule. They’ve seen “quite a bit” of a decline in availability, she said.
One resident, Dorothy Blair, spoke against the plan and said it was premature to vote on the item that night. As a nutritionist, she felt there should be a broader scope of food offerings to kids that the agency couldn’t offer. She also worried about impacts on the local economy.
“Everyone assumes that this will make a lot of money for the parks, but how will it affect the local economy? That really needs to be reassessed, and the people who are affected, because there’s an awful lot more food trucks out there than when you did that survey,” Blair said. “There are a number of very creative food trucks who would perceive this as detrimental to their business.”
Concessions are part of the business, College Township Supervisor Eric Bernier, said. But others, like Ferguson Township Supervisor Patty Stephens, said the agency should be providing parks and recreation, not a food service.
At the beginning of the year, CRPR conducted an online survey to gauge the interest in offering concessions at the pools. It received more than 500 responses. Roughly 70% said their pool visits would be “enhanced” if food and drinks were offered there, and about 73% said if concessions were offered, they’d anticipate purchasing a mix of full meals and snacks.
Ferguson Supervisor Jeremie Thompson said he read responses in the survey that were concerned with the amount of trash that could accumulate with the concessions, and that trash already seemed to be an issue. Owens said the staff does go around to pools specifically to pick up trash. They recycle many pizza boxes each day, Owens said.
But Ferguson’s Laura Dininni said the pizza boxes represent something larger, too.
“All those pizza boxes that are recycled, represent tipped pizza drivers and represent local industry and represent local jobs. And do not think for one minute sitting around this table when you cast your vote to buy that truck that it will not have a direct impact on those workers and those industries and those businesses that are in our municipalities,” Dininni said. “That right there, you’re allowing yourself to be moved by illusion and myth, if you think it’s not going to have an effect on them.”
She said the concession truck is just a stopgap measure that involves hiring additional staff, training, a large capital investment and something that isn’t climate friendly.
College Township Supervisor Paul Takac said he thought it would provide flexibility that they wouldn’t otherwise have, and that it’s a low risk.
“This is really a relatively low risk, but pretty high reward proposition. I mean, it seems to me the economics are pretty clear that this would be revenue generating rather quickly, and that this capital expenditure can be paid off in just a few years,” Takac said.
Concerns about the additional cost to patrons was a concern for some. Patton Township Supervisor Sultan Magruder said he hoped that the food would be available at an affordable rate and said in the future, he’d like to see some type of voucher system for those who can’t afford it.
