Mobile concessions vendor Bypass has signed a deal with Sodexo to install the first point-of-sale system at University of Texas sports venues, including the school’s 100,000-seat football stadium.
Sodexo, the Big 12 school’s food provider, invested $1.5 million for the upgrades, covering 500 Samsung tablets alone at concession stands and club spaces at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, said Jim Fjelstul, Sodexo’s regional vice president in Austin.
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Two years ago, cash was the only way to pay for food and drink at University of Texas football games.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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It’s a major improvement for all Longhorns athletic facilities, according to Fjelstul. Two years ago, cash was the only way to pay for food and drink at Texas football and basketball games and other sporting events. Last year, Sodexo installed single machines at all concession stands at the football stadium to accept credit and debit cards.
The Bypass system, hardwired throughout the stadium, takes the technology one step further by integrating front-line sales with Sodexo’s back-of-house operation. It’s tied to a data analytics piece to help the concessionaire speed up transactions and, down the line, customize food offerings and adjust pricing in-game on digital menu boards.
Increasing the flow of real-time information through the Bypass cloud-based technology enables Sodexo to better control costs, especially with kickoff times varied throughout the season, which ultimately affects buying patterns, Fjelstul said.
Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement, formerly Paciolan, the school’s ticketing provider, will have its technology tied into the Bypass system to provide another layer of analytics to help Sodexo better understand its customers’ buying habits, Fjelstul said. In the future, with the school’s input, Sodexo and Spectra could potentially work together to package seats with food, he said.
On the vendor side, Bypass sees more colleges interested in using loaded tickets with stored value for concessions, as well as establishing loyalty programs for season-ticket holders, company President Brandon Lloyd said.
Installations will also take place in the coming weeks at Frank C. Erwin Jr. Special Events Center, Texas’ basketball arena, and UFCU Disch-Falk Field, the school’s baseball facility.
All told, 80 percent of Bypass tablets will be permanently attached to concession stands at those three buildings. The remaining 20 percent are designed as portable units to be used at Olympic sports venues such as tennis and soccer, he said.
Separately, Bypass has signed a deal with the Minnesota Wild to upgrade its point-of-sale system with 230 tablets at Xcel Energy Center. The new units are in addition to the 20 Bypass handheld units used by Levy Restaurants, the team’s concessionaire.
Xcel Energy Center joins Prudential Center, home of the New Jersey Devils, as NHL clients using Bypass point-of-sale systems throughout the venue. Overall, Bypass has deals in place for concessions technology at 23 big league venues and 10 college facilities.
Bypass recently hired Chad Weiner, formerly with Micros and Tangent, two competitors in point-of-sales equipment, to lead its sales and business development divisions.
