Spring is in the air and so is the excitement for the 69th regular season for your BC Lions. The club will soon announce some special new and returning game themes for the 2023 campaign but one exciting element was recently made public by BC Place in partnership with Sodexo Live!
A new $5 menu that gives fans of all ages at all stadium events some tasty and affordable options that include beer, nachos, hot dogs, popcorn plus some soon-to-be-revealed rotational items. Chris May, general manager at BC Place, says designing the new menu was a lengthy progress resulting in feedback from customers.
“We want people to have a good experience at BC Place and there should be an option to have that experience at different levels,” May said.
“Some people want to spend a lot of money on a club ticket or suite for their group with really premium level food and beverage, but someone should be able to come to the game, and I’m specifically talking about families and that type of thing, that quite frankly should be able to have the opposite of that choice.”
May points toward owner Amar Doman and the organization doing everything we can to market the product to young kids as a prime example of wanting to make select concession items more affordable.
“The work that Amar and the team are doing with youth football, cheap tickets for families and what you did with first responders last year; all of those things show that the Lions are so invested in a better experience for their fans and we need to support that at the stadium as well,” he explained.
Taking a family of four or five to a sporting event in Vancouver can be quite a financial burden. Another segment of the young demographic the club is trying to reach is college and university students who don’t always have as much disposable income.
For those that commute a long way into the downtown core, there is also the time dilemma. Finding a place for a pre-game meal isn’t always easy with those time constraints and fitting it into your weekend budget. The new $5 menu items certainly help alleviate some of those concerns.
“Absolutely, that’s part of it,” May added.
“We want you to be able to come in and have your full meal here, we want you to be able to arrive five minutes before a game and get what you need. It really just all goes back to that inclusive journey experience and whatever you’re looking for at the stadium we’re doing our best to provide that for you.”
May surprisingly wouldn’t play favourites when asked to reveal his go-t0 item on the $5 spread, but he did offer up a fairly cool nugget for those aged 19 and over.
“The $5 beer is a can that is eight percent(alcohol). I challenge anyone to provide a better deal than that,” May stated.
“Personally, I’m a nachos fan. We may look at adding some new items for special matchups and special games. But in my mind, there is no be-all and end-all when it comes to this menu.”
Overall, it has been an exciting last month for the team’s home stadium. A full slate of new menu items was recently announced with highlights including a footlong lobster roll and porky pine sandwich on a pineapple bun.
And now the new $5 menu that will be available at the Dawson Hot Dog Stands outside sections 201 and 227 ensures more fans’ taste buds will be satisfied.
“I know when I bring my six-year-old, he’s not eating a full footlong hot dog,” May said with a laugh.
“So we need to have something for everyone. And that’s what we’re doing.”
And for those indulging in the beer: as always, plan for a safe ride home.