Hot dog and beer sellers will become rare. NFL Stadium passes this season as officials work to overhaul concession operations and create a safe environment for fans during coronavirus pandemic…

Only a small group of 32 NFL teams will have a fan base when the season kicks off this weekend. With a mandate for social distancing, several NFL stadiums have ditched food and drink peddlers altogether in favor of contactless and, in many cases, cashless models to limit potential exposure and set fans up for their favorite game day snacks as safely as possible.

The closures, attendance restrictions and necessary security measures have had a major impact on stadium workers, many of whom will not operate at all during the first weeks of the season. Even at NFL stadiums that host fans, it is expected that there will be limited staffing for privileged staff for the foreseeable future.

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“The salesperson, the guy who sells the beer, if they’re there at all, they will certainly get hurt,” said Mike Plutino, CEO and founder of Food Service Matters, a consulting firm specializing in stadium concessions. “We don’t expect long queues for a lot of things right now.”

Currently, four teams – the Kansas City Chieftain, Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins – have announced specific attendance plans. The Dolphins admit a maximum of 13,000 fans to their first home game, or 20 percent of the Hard Rock Stadium capacity. The Chiefs and Jaguars are home stadiums with a maximum of 16,000 fans, while the Colts will play just 2,500 in their first home game.

NFL teams typically generate $ 1 million to $ 2 million in game-day concession sales, Plutino said. This revenue figure will drop significantly at the expected level of attendance, even if the fans in attendance spend more than usual to make up for the lack of additional features.

“I think the food service guys were in full swing trying to rethink, rethink and rethink the business, and make sure it was safe for fans and employees within the company,” Plutino said.

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Under normal circumstances, most football stadiums offer non-profit groups the opportunity to work on assignments to raise money for their own purposes, such as fundraising for a school group. Stadium vendors – workers who walk down the aisles with hot dogs, beer, and other snacks – usually earn most of their income from sales commissions and tips, while floor workers usually get hourly wages. Traders are often hired through a third party firm.

Workers at Hard Rock Stadium will have access to glove machines. (Center Plate / Hard Rock Stadium)

The pandemic has triggered a massive shift in the way business is done in sports stadiums, accelerating the transition to technically advanced fan services that is already under way at many venues.

Centerplate Inc., a food and beverage partner for Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium and Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium, has been developing service plans for its NFL customers for several months now. Security measures at both teams’ games include non-cash transactions, mobile ordering of portioned food in closed containers and plexiglass screens on counters.

“We don’t want fans to feel like this is a limited experience,” said Centerplate CEO Steve Pangburn. “We want them to have a very unique experience because they are coming back after a very difficult time and we want them to say, ‘Wow! “And we remembered this experience.”

Pre-packaged food show at Hard Rock Stadium. (Center Plate / Hard Rock Stadium.)

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The Hard Rock Stadium will not have dolphin game food and drink peddlers in order to maintain social distancing guidelines. Centerplate also limits the number of workers at cooking stations and optimizes menus to include only fan favorite foods so fans don’t have to wait in lines.

Pangburn admitted that Centerplate will have fewer staff compared to a typical Sunday in the NFL, but noted that the staff-to-fan ratio will actually be higher than usual and the reduction rate will not come close to the fan attendance limits. Workers will receive their regular hourly rate. Eliminating security delays means stadiums will open earlier than usual, allowing for more hours for working staff.

“It’s about the fan experience. We are not reducing the number of points of sale to this level, ”added Pangburn. “We are really trying to make it look almost like it does in normal times.”

Jaguars and its catering partner, Delaware North Sportservice, have taken similar steps at TIAA Bank Stadium. There will be no food or drink vendors on site, and the seasoning kiosks will be closed for the foreseeable future.

In addition to cashless payments, stadium officials will serve all food in closed containers, install plexiglass barriers and allow fans to bring their own reusable water bottles to the site.

“We are working to define our level of rebate and staffing without changing the hourly wages of our employees,” Delaware North Sportservice said in a statement.

Executives have moved to a cashless model at all concession centers and retail outlets at Arrowhead Stadium as part of a partnership with payment services firm Tappit. In addition, the team increased the point of sale to fan ratio so that they could disperse and place orders without fear of breaking social distancing rules.

“There will be a variety of limited contact and contactless concession options available, including ‘Grab N’ Go ‘, self-service, order picking and ordering kiosks throughout the stadium,” reads a message detailing their stadium policies.

Aramark, a partner at Chiefs Nutrition Services, did not respond to a request for comment.

The NFL requires fans to wear masks at all times to games this season. Although initially only a few teams will have crowds, league officials have left open the possibility of adjusting attendance rules as the season progresses.

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More fans will require more stadium staff, although it’s unclear when conditions will allow hawkers and other traditional live performance elements to return.

“The amount of livelihoods that go into sports, just in catering, is incredible,” said Plutino, a stadium concession consultant. “I don’t know if anyone has counted the number of hands that the sport is serving, but this is an incredible number of hands.”

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