3 Strategies to Maximize Concession Stand Fundraising at Spring Sporting Events

Ideas for Less-Publicized Spring Sports

The spring sports season is here, and that means baseball is top of mind for concessions operators. But if you’re in charge of athletic fundraising at your school, make sure you’re including other seasonal sports in your schedule.

Meets and matches that get less publicity, such as soccer, track, and tennis, may not draw the largest crowds, but concession stand fundraising is still crucial for funding uniforms, equipment, and other athlete needs. And opposing teams and parents need to eat! Use these three strategies to make the most of your efforts for spring sports, regardless of attendance.

1. Limit your concession stand menu. Because there will be fewer purchases, plan to offer a smaller selection than you would at games with higher attendance rates. Choose the top few bestsellers to prepare and leave the wider variety for other events.

2. Plan in advance to avoid waste. Think closely about your supplies in terms of other upcoming events. If there are games for other sports scheduled in a short time period, opening bagged nacho cheese is fine, but if you know nothing is immediately following your event, opt for Portion Pak cheeses instead so that you don’t risk wasting leftovers. Prepackaged concession stand food items like Candee Fluff® and Meister Bake® pretzels are ideal for events with lower attendance.

3. Adjust your staffing requirements. Generating volunteer interest can be challenging for less-publicized sports, so you might need to rethink shifts and requirements. For example, you could ask parents to staff the stand for shorter increments than usual and offer to work with them on scheduling so they are guaranteed time away to watch their children compete.

With these plans in place, you can take advantage of one of the few sports fundraisers that work consistently and effectively. But even the best strategies can’t help you if people don’t know about your stand. Be sure to include these fundraising events in your advertising – get the word out that concessions are available at soccer games, track meets, and tennis matches through social media, flyers, and school announcements.

Need additional ideas for streamlining your school concession stand operations? Get tips on choosing equipment and supplies vendors, ordering, and more from experienced concessions managers.