Comcast-Spectacor Is Expected To Acquire Excel Food Services

Comcast-Spectacor is poised to acquire Excel Food Services as part of a deal currently in negotiation with Maryland Baseball Inc. to purchase three minor league baseball teams.

Comcast-Spectacor will provide management services for Harry Grove Stadium, Frederick, Md.; the Arthur W. Purdue Stadium, Salisbury, Md.; and the Prince Georges County Stadium, Bowie, Md.

Ovations Food Services, Comcast's in-house concessions company, would take over the venues' food service contracts from Excel.

Comcast also will be responsible for Excel's other accounts at the George Mason University Patriot Center, Fairfax, Va.; The USAir Arena, Landover, Md.; and the Coastal Federal Field, Myrtle Beach, S.C. The venues have between 6,000-20,000 capacities.

During the four years Excel has been in operation, it has registered per caps of between $6.50-$9.50, depending on the stadium, said Ken Young, president of Ovations Food Services.

"Excel has both Class AA and A venues. The per caps vary accordingly," Young said.

Young and his partners sold controlling interest in Leisure & Recreation Consultants to form Ovations last month (AB, June 12).

Both management and employees will remain intact after Ovations takes over the concessions for Excel, he added.

It hasn't been determined if the name of the company will be changed.

AN INDUSTRY LEADER

Ovations Food Services is currently involved in a number of other minor league stadiums. According to Young, the addition of Excel venues will make Ovations the leader in minor league venues throughout the country.

"There is always room for more branding deals at any venue," said Young. "Of course, any long-term agreements will stay in place."

According to Mike Phillips, president of Excel Food Services, Excel has six branding deals in its venues. He hopes when the companies merge additional branding will come into the buildings.

"We expect nothing but good things to come from this deal," said Phillips.

One of the major advantages to being involved with a major company such as Ovations, Young told AB, is that it has far-reaching marketing and purchasing options.

"Of course, we will be looking into the menu items and the food and drink sizes so we can evaluate the per caps, but we do that with all our venues, anyway," said Young.

THE MENU

Currently, Ovations' concessions have what Young describes as a "hugely diversified menu." Even with taco salads and chicken wraps on the menu, however, hot dogs still rate as the top food item.

Food offered at Excel venues includes everything from barbecue to funnel cakes to crab cakes.

"I find people like to have the options available on a diverse menu, but they will usually go for the hot dogs anyway," Phillips said.

Specials offered by Excel buildings do well, Phillips said.

Kid's stands, which sell child-size snacks, offer all items for $1. A children's meal, which includes a hot dog, small drink and toy, is offered throughout the buildings for $4.

Excel also runs two restaurants, located at the USAir Arena and the Frederick Keys Stadium.

According to Phillips, the restaurants drive per caps up by as much as 100% over stands.

"When people sit down to have a meal, they spend more than they do if they are just grabbing some food at a concessions stand," he said.