Friday night at Spartan Stadium, Michigan State picked up its first win of the season, but in the concourse, fans reported major shortcomings with concessions.
Long lines, depleted food and new cashless payment systems all caused issues for fans trying to grab a quick bite before returning to their seats.
In July, as one of J Batt’s first moves as the university’s new athletic director, he made the switch to privatize concessions at Spartan Stadium, moving away from an in-house system. Levy Restaurants, a company experienced in game-day concessions, was brought on with new vendors like Little Caesars and Auntie Anne’s across the concourse.
Associate Athletic Director Matt Larson said that MSU is working with Levy to solve issues that were present on Friday night before MSU faces Boston College this weekend.
"Providing an outstanding gameday experience is a top priority for Michigan State Athletics," Larson said. "Friday night, the energy in Spartan Stadium was exceptional as the MSU community gathered to cheer the Green and White on to victory. We also recognize that fans experienced long waits and inconsistent service in our concession lines. MSU Athletics will continue to work with our concessions partner Levy to create an improved experience moving forward."
When Levy was announced as Michigan State’s new concessions partner, Batt said in a statement, "The goal for this partnership is to provide those items to fans in a convenient, expedited fashion that will help deliver an improved game day experience."
Levy is a leader in the event restaurant business, partnering with events and venues like Coachella, Ford Field, The U.S. Open and even Disneyland.
MSU posted flyers on Wednesday in 1855 Place, seeking student applicants for concession jobs. 1855 Place, across the street from the Breslin Center, houses the Spartan Athletic Ticket Office and Spirit Shop, among more.
With the move to Levy, MSU fans can expect fan favorites like Melting Moments to stay with the addition of cashless transactions and grab-and-go meals. Popular among students, CX, or combo exchange, items like hot dogs and popcorn are no longer available.
After MSU’s 23-6 win over Western Michigan, fans took to online message boards to voice their dissent over the change in concessions.
On a public message board titled “Fire Levy” one user, SpartyHardy, wrote, "Sounds like J. Batt needs to get on the ball with the concessions."
Others weren’t as pessimistic, noting improvements in food quality.
"We got some Auntie Anne's in the 3rd quarter, they were good," user JMacWhat posted. "Much better than the old pretzels."
In his statement, Larson did not note any specific changes to concessions that will be employed on Saturday.
The Spartans will face Boston College on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 7:30 p.m. in their second home game of the season.
