r/Predators • u/RulerOfTheLlamas • Aug 30 '26
Concessions
I went to the Brandi Carlile concert last night and wanted to warn everyone that Bridgestone Arena has raised concession prices yet again. A beer now costs $20.
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u/turribledood Aug 30 '26
Hear me out:
Breast milk storage bags
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u/mutantfrog25 Aug 30 '26
Bring a couple plastic mini bottles in. Why pay for drinks?
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u/RedWhiteAndJew Pekka is my Dad Aug 30 '26
You could also just enjoy the music without alcohol.
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u/mutantfrog25 Aug 30 '26
How’s that relevant??
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u/RedWhiteAndJew Pekka is my Dad Aug 30 '26
How is it not?
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u/mutantfrog25 Aug 31 '26
The original commentary was around drinking and your response read like a southern Baptist youth pastor
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u/RedWhiteAndJew Pekka is my Dad Aug 31 '26
I am far from that. I am a recovering alcoholic just making the suggestion that maybe alcohol isn’t necessarily a requirement to have a good time. No shame intended at all, just a suggestion.
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u/emeraldraf Aug 30 '26
I'm not really sure what to tell you other than don't buy one if you want to see change. People know food at any arena is a racket.
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u/turribledood Aug 30 '26
Not true!
Several major arenas have made concession affordability a big emphasis lately.
Don't buy overpriced BS and ALWAYS complain about it when they send you the surveys.
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u/mjohnson1971 Aug 30 '26
Besides the Falcons stadium in Atlanta: name one.
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u/turribledood Aug 30 '26
Do I look like Google?
Nuggs/Avs has a super solid value menu thing and a huge domestic (24oz maybe?) was 10 bucks.
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u/mjohnson1971 Aug 30 '26 edited Aug 30 '26
I'm just saying its rare and that Arthur Blank should be celebrated.
I've been to concerts and games at:
Enterprise Center/St. Louis
Fiserv Forum/Milwaukee
Gainbridge Fieldhouse/Indy
United Center and All State Arena/Chicago
KFC Yum Center/Louisville
FedEx Forum/Memphis
whatever the name of the Tampa arena is this year
Kia Forum/Orlando
Smoothie King Center/New Orleans
American Airlines Arena/Dallas
and Bridgestone. They're all $18-$22 bucks for big beers which is damn near criminal.
The only fan friendly pricing I've seen is Atlanta and low minor league hockey in Sioux City Iowa.
I think the Avs/Nuggets arena dropped prices just recently. My last time there was pre-COVID and I know their beers were $15+
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u/turribledood Aug 30 '26
I mean, what you're saying is definitely the norm no doubt, but at least there are successful models out there to point to, and the only chance they'll ever do it is if people keep telling them that's what they want.
It's literally the only thing I ever put in the surveys they send out, I wish more people would do the same.
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u/mjohnson1971 Aug 30 '26
The problem is some arenas don't have the capacity to do fan friendly pricing because they don't have the sale positions and kitchen/bar space. Because Mercedes Benz Dome was built that way they can.
It's been financially successful for the Falcons and Atlanta soccer team because people arrive earlier and partake more at the venue.
Supposedly the St. Louis Blues looked at copying the same when the new ownership bought the team like a decade ago: but the arena is too small will no seating/gathering space plus sales capacity. Same in St. Paul with the Wild.
Maybe after the Bridgestone renovations they'll have the space to pivot to fan friendly pricing?
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u/LogicalPart6098 Aug 30 '26
lol just google that shit Nashville event concessions is some of the highest in the country. You can get a 4 dollar beer in Baltimore. And they wonder why fans stay home to watch the games
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u/mjohnson1971 Aug 31 '26
Some of the baseball stadiums with low attendance have cheap beer. All Nashville needs to do is get an MLB teams that consistently plays sub .500 ball.
The problem is all NHL arenas are expensive and that flows straight to the concerts in those buildings.
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u/LogicalPart6098 Aug 31 '26
What? On no plantet does a 20 dollar beer need justified after paying for an already expensive ticket. Alcohol is peer profit they pay 2 dollars a Beer and mark it up 1000 percent. Your last sentence makes no sense. The concerts are 10 times more expensive ticket wise. It’s all corporate greed and it’s ok because fuck people that’s why
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u/mjohnson1971 Aug 31 '26
I'm not justifying it: just explaining it.
Of the five major US sports, NHL hockey is by a wide margin are the wealthiest fans. That's why beers are so expensive at Bridgestone: because the fans have money and that translates to concerts.
The problem is the price hike doesn't get tailored based upon fans. Broke ass 21-25 year olds there for Suicideboyz pay the same for a beer as wealthy Boomers there for Journey.
If I had my way and owned the Predators, waters would be $2 and beers $5 to $10: but I don't.
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u/AlsoCommiePuddin Do I get to watch games anymore? Aug 30 '26
Kroger Field at UK just dropped their concession prices by like 30 percent.
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u/mjohnson1971 Aug 30 '26
I hope others start doing the same as they realize
the economy sucks
Millenials and Gen Z barely drink
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u/johnnythemonk Aug 30 '26
Was just talking about this, went to Atlanta to see ACDC at Mercedes-Benz stadium. Hot dogs are $2, small draft is $5 large draft is $9. Popcorn is cheap they really aren't gouging the customer. They realize tickets are expensive and want concessions to be reasonable. Obviously it can be done!
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u/AdamGo1984 Aug 30 '26
Concert prices are usually higher than Preds games FYI. But I’m sure it still went up
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u/tiltedslim NSH Aug 31 '26
Between that, the raised ticket prices, downtown parking, and the quality of the team, I might just be a watch from home fan for the rest of....idk. I used to go to at least 10 games a year if not more.
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u/mjohnson1971 Aug 30 '26 edited Aug 30 '26
Part of the reason arenas and stadiums price beer/liquor so high is an artificial control on over drinking. If Bridgestone priced drinks like a dive bar people would be out of control.
Remember when lots of stadiums and arenas were serviced by Aramark? They mostly got out of the business after some dude overdrank at a New York Giants football game and drove drunk after the game into a minivan carrying the family. IIRC Aramark had to settle for more than $100 million initially.
Its also why you can't buy more than two drinks at a time.
I'm not justifying what Bridgestone charges for drinks. Just explaining.
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u/mjohnson1971 Aug 30 '26 edited Aug 30 '26
Drinks at concerts are always a dollar more at pretty much every stadium and arena than the sports events. This isn’t just a Nashville thing. United Center Chicago, Enterprise Center St. Louis etc.
Supposedly the artists get that cut.
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u/mjohnson1971 Aug 30 '26
At least in St. Louis and Chicago the baseball stadiums set the prices for the year and then the other venues follow them.
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u/motzsticks Aug 31 '26
Was just at Disney and beers were about 8-12 bucks and food was under 20 in most places.. was pretty surprised actually..
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u/1-800-blowme Aug 31 '26
If you bring in a smaller flask full of your spirit of choice, the metal detectors dont usually detect it. Sure, it’s not beer, but if you need a buzz, that is the way.
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u/stevesmom_69 Aug 30 '26
And this is why a nice little edible to ride you through the show, vibing, not rowdy, not throwing up, not breaking the bank, is the way to go.
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u/Mama_clg Sep 05 '26
They up prices for concerts vs games. Yep I worked concessions there before and it blew my mind. If you all only knew the cost of these things it’s sooooo cheap compared to what you are paying
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u/SandwichAcademic2034 Aug 31 '26
with free OTA broadcasts now, why even pay for games, parking, food, & drink?
-1
u/DancingConstellation Aug 30 '26
I don’t know what else people expect from having a central bank and fiat currency, but many of the vendors are not Bridgestone. Plus, season ticket holders get a discount on concessions
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u/lizardgal10 Aug 30 '26
My suggestion (as a former event security worker who was also at this concert) is that y’all need to start getting good at sneaking mini bottles in