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B.C. Place to offer $5 menu of items at events starting next week

Beer, hotdogs, nachos and popcorn will be sold for $5 at Dawson's Hot Dogs stands in B.C. Place starting March 29.  (iStock/Getty Images - image credit)
Beer, hotdogs, nachos and popcorn will be sold for $5 at Dawson's Hot Dogs stands in B.C. Place starting March 29. (iStock/Getty Images - image credit)

B.C. Place has announced a new menu of food items priced at $5.

Stadium fare such as beer, hotdogs, nachos and popcorn will be sold for $5 at Dawson's Hot Dogs stands in sections 201 and 227. The stadium says there is a potential for rotating items throughout the year to be sold at the same price.

In a statement, B.C. Place general manager Chris May says the food on the $5 menu complements more premium items on offer.

"We know that for some, buying tickets to a game or a concert can be a big financial commitment, and we want to ensure that everyone has the ability to enjoy a meal at our stadium," May said.

A spokesperson for B.C. Place, which serves as home for the CFL's B.C. Lions and the Vancouver Whitecaps of the MLS, said items on the $5 menu are new — with different brands and formats being offered. Hotdogs will be "standard size," and beers will be 355 millilitres.

Prices for a beer at neighbouring Rogers Arena, the home of the Vancouver Canucks, start at around $10.

Stadium officials say the new menu will go into effect at Wednesday's Red Hot Chili Peppers concert.

Vijay Setlur, a sports marketing instructor at York University's Schulich School of Business in Toronto, says other venues have tried similar pricing structures, most notably Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons.

'Goodwill' gesture

In 2017, Falcons owner Arthur Blank announced "fan first" pricing ahead of the stadium's opening, with hotdogs, pop and water costing $2, a 355-millilitre beer, $5, and fries and nachos, $3.

"We took the traditional food and beverage model and threw it out of the window," Blank told reporters at the time.

"And I think what you will see is variety and value and pricing that will make it easy for a family of two or four or six to come to the stadium and have a great day and actually be able to eat here. And not have to plan to eat before or after because everything is so expensive."

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Setlur says Blank's strategy was considered bold in an industry that historically has tried to maximize revenue from a "captive audience."

The gamble, he says, appears to have paid off for the Falcons and "yielded results that were more positive than expected."

He says the approach could bolster ticket sales and other revenue streams, such as merchandise and apparel sales.

"So while you're taking a revenue hit in one area, you could actually increase your revenue generation in other areas," he said.

Setlur said the Falcons' lower prices have made business sense. They can also be something of a goodwill gesture to fans.

"People who attend sporting events know how expensive concessions are, and they know that teams have prices that are high because it's a captive audience ... By reducing the price of something that's known to be high, it'll definitely build goodwill among the fanbase."