Super Bowl equals super sales

By KYLE PARKS

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 26, 2001

Some fans at Super Bowl XXXV paid as much as $2,000 or more for tickets, but a post-game tally shows the spending didn't stop at the gates of Raymond James Stadium.

The game set revenue records for Fine Host Corp., the concessionaire. On average, each fan spent $28 on food and drinks at the Jan. 28 game.

"The difference in a Super Bowl is that people show up so early," said Brian Ford, the company's on-site manager for Tampa. "We surpassed what we'd bring in for a Bucs game before the Super Bowl even started."

For Super Bowl week, Fine Host brought in more than $3-million, which also included concessions at the NFL Experience theme park and other activities. For the game, the company had 1,300 points of sale, including 42 permanent stands and 104 portable facilities. About 2,800 Fine Host employees worked on game day.

"We actually held our prices the same, so the revenue reflects people buying more items," Ford said. To drive sales, the company thought up ways to turn everything from popcorn tubs to cups into collectibles with the Super Bowl logo.

"That's what the fans are looking for," Ford said. "They want something that shows they were at the game."

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