All-you-can-eat seats facts for kids
All-you-can-eat seats, also known as all-inclusive sections, are special seating areas in sports stadiums. When you buy a ticket for these seats, you get unlimited food and drinks during the game. This usually includes popular stadium snacks like hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, peanuts, soft drinks, and bottled water.
These seats are often found in parts of the stadium that are not as popular, like the bleachers or upper decks. Even though they cost about 50% more than regular seats in the same area, fans often see them as a great deal. This is because food and drinks at stadiums can be very expensive.
The very first all-you-can-eat (AYCE) section was introduced at Dodger Stadium in 2007. This idea quickly became popular. By 2010, 19 out of 30 Major League Baseball parks had AYCE sections. Many Minor League Baseball parks also started offering them by 2012.
AYCE seats also appeared in other sports venues. By 2008, they were in arenas for the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League. They were also found in Canadian Football League stadiums and at NASCAR racetracks. The National Football League is the only major professional sports league in North America where stadiums generally do not have these types of all-you-can-eat seats for everyone.
It's important to know that luxury boxes and club seating are usually all-inclusive too. They offer unlimited food and drinks. However, they are not called AYCE seats. This is because they are in prime locations and cost much more. Also, the food in luxury boxes is often gourmet, with chef-prepared meals and servers. AYCE seats, on the other hand, focus on classic fast food and snacks.
How All-You-Can-Eat Seats Started
The Los Angeles Dodgers were the first to offer all-you-can-eat seats in Major League Baseball. They started this in April 2007. Before that, they tested the idea during the 2006 season.
Soon after the Dodgers, other teams joined in. The Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, and Texas Rangers changed some of their less-used seats into AYCE sections. The idea spread quickly. By 2008, 13 Major League Baseball parks had these seats. This number grew to 19 parks by 2010.
Many Major League Baseball teams now offer all-you-can-eat seats. These include the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, and Toronto Blue Jays.
In 2018, the Detroit Lions of the NFL introduced "Club 200." This special seating option includes all-you-can-eat items. These items are hot dogs, popcorn, nachos, pretzels, chips, cotton candy, salad, and soda. This section at Ford Field also gives fans two drink tickets and a special giveaway item at each game.
What You Get with All-You-Can-Eat Seats
All-you-can-eat seats are usually located in areas that are farther from the action. These are often in the bleachers or the upper decks of the stadium. The price for these tickets is typically about 50% higher than regular seats in the same section.
The all-you-can-eat food service usually starts when the stadium gates open. It often continues until the beginning or end of the seventh inning of a baseball game. Some parks might have a time limit. For example, food service might be open for two hours after the first pitch at San Diego Padres games. At Minnesota Twins games, it might be open until 9 p.m.
The basic menu for AYCE seats includes classic ballpark foods. You can usually find hot dogs, nachos, peanuts, popcorn, and soft drinks. Some ballparks offer extra choices. Petco Park offers "veggie dogs." Oriole Park at Camden Yards has green salad, ice cream, and even kosher and veggie dogs if you ask in advance. At PNC Park, you might find "burgers, salads, peanut butter-filled pretzels and ice cream."
Some stadiums limit how much food you can take at one time. At Dodger Stadium, you can take up to four hot dogs per visit. But you can take as many soft drinks and bottles of water as you want. At Camden Yards, you can take up to two of each food item per visit. A big plus for AYCE fans is that the lines move quickly. This is because no money changes hands at the food stands.
At Dodger Stadium, people with AYCE tickets use a different gate to enter and exit. They can only go to the AYCE buffet and a specific set of restrooms. At other ballparks, fans wear colored wristbands to show they have AYCE tickets. At Camden Yards, they stamp your hand instead.
Why All-You-Can-Eat Seats Are Popular
All-you-can-eat seats have been very successful. They help stadiums attract more fans, especially when attendance is low. They also help fill up sections of the stadium that were not used much before.
For example, at Dodger Stadium, the right-field bleachers used to open only if the left-field bleachers were full. Or they were used for group sales. After these 3,300 seats became an AYCE section, about 85% of them were filled. The Arizona Diamondbacks saw a 70% increase in ticket sales when they added an AYCE section in 2009. The Houston Astros filled their AYCE section to about 95% capacity on average.
From the fans' point of view, AYCE seats are a great deal. This is especially true when you think about how much stadium food usually costs. After eating just a few hot dogs, nachos, and soft drinks, the AYCE ticket often pays for itself.
In 2007, the Atlanta Braves estimated what a typical AYCE fan ate. They found that fans consumed about 3.35 hot dogs, 20 ounces of soda, and 7.9 ounces of peanuts. They also ate 3 ounces of nachos and 32 ounces of popcorn.
AYCE seats are seen as a fun way to enjoy snacks while watching a game. They offer a chance to have a budget-friendly dinner with a baseball game included. They are also a good way for families to feed everyone without spending too much. Some AYCE fans even have friendly eating contests. Others might try to sneak some food home with them.
