At Saturday's football game against Tennessee-Martin, fans might not have noticed anything different, but after seven years of management by OU dining services, the athletic department has contracted V/Gladieux Enterprises Inc. to handle concessions at football and basketball games.After the athletic department's contract with OU dining services concluded June 30, bidding opened to contract a company that would bring high revenue, reasonable prices and a wide scope of foods and services, said Dan Hauser, associate athletic director for marketing.Three companies, including dining services, submitted bids, and the athletic department chose Toledo-based V/Gladieux Enterprises Inc., which deals primarily with concessions, Hauser said. Owing to V/Gladieux's reputable client list, including an eight-year contract with the University of Michigan and a 17-year contract with Purdue University, positive references and wide scale of menu items, the athletic department decided that V/Gladieux was the best fit.Dining services encouraged the search for new management, said Patti Pennell, director of retail operations for dining services. Although dining services successfully managed concessions during its tenure, the goal is to focus more on serving students in other areas, such as the dining halls, the Oasis and the 10 upcoming dining services operations that will open in the new student center, she said.As a part of their bid, V/Gladieux guaranteed that if they have the same sales volume that concessions had last year, revenue will increase by 260 percent, and the prices will be similar to what they were last year, Hauser said. Because of the niche they have in the market, owing to their concentration on concessions, they can leverage market prices better, he said. V/Gladieux intends to emphasize hawking more this year, where employees carry products to fans, so the fans do not necessarily need to leave their seats to get refreshments, and added additional cash registers to each concession stand to speed up lines, Hauser said.I think our fans are going to come to the game and find more items on the menu than they ever have
Hauser said.Most of the organizations that worked the concession stands at games last year will be returning, and a few new groups will be working also, said Steven Ziegler, a V/Gladieux representative. The company will primarily employ students and Athens residents in addition to the volunteer groups.We're working in conjunction with them she said. I expect a very smooth transition.
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Meghan McNamara
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Cyndy Holliday (left) and Colin Kruse (right) total the concession sales made during the first home Bobcat football game on Saturday, September 2. The concessions for football games recently switched to a new company, Gladiex Enterprises, to supply food f
