How Petco Park Handled a Padres Game Where Fans Couldn’t Buy Food
Anyone who has ever gone to an MLB game knows it’s a fun and exciting environment. There’s no better way to watch a baseball game, but be prepared to spend some money. Everything is more expensive inside park gates, but the experience never feels complete without a hot dog or a drink.
On Saturday, August 21st, I went to go see the Padres play against the Phillies at Petco Park. The game started off slow, but the drama was unfolding off the field. The park’s payment system went down and customers couldn’t purchase food or drinks. To make matters worse, the park is cashless, and there was no ability to accept payment.
To state the obvious, this is a huge financial problem. The markups on concessions mean the park will make a lot of money. People wait in line to get snacks, and the food is as American as baseball itself. We sing about eating peanuts and Cracker Jacks, so there’s a lot to lose when the customer experience is severely compromised.
How This Happened
When I arrived at Petco Park, the experience was like any other day. I walked in, and my partner bought drinks. We both paid, so there were no signs of an issue. Then we took our seats. A few minutes later the game started. We did notice many open seats around us, but this didn’t seem too…
