Americans love sports. Friendly competition is woven into the fabric of our national culture, and few things complement a sporting event like food and drinks. Anyone who’s gone to a sporting event knows what happens at half-time or during the 7th inning. The lines form at the concession stands and at the restrooms.
No one wants to miss the action.
Owners of sports complexes and city parks know the value of a good concession stand and restroom facility, and Romtec designs both! There are many ways to configure these multi-purpose facilities, and our engineers consider everything from the sport being played, to the menu to the park’s capacity, and locality. And isn’t that a lot of fuss for soft pretzels and hotdogs?
Certainly not.
Considerations for a Concession Building Design
Let’s say you have a baseball park and the season runs from April to July; maybe longer if there are playoffs. You’re looking at a lot of sunshine in most places, but what if there are some soccer fields too?
Now, you’re looking at fans there in October and November. Now’s the time to consider covering the concession window with a roof extension or even adding a pavilion-covered dining patio.
Parks in Seattle might include this all the time, but in Tucson, maybe just for the winter sports fields.
The menu is also something to think about when designing a concession stand. Offering the whole spread of bleacher dining options requires some foresight in the design phase, while handing out candy bars and sports drinks will require much less.
State and federal health regulations will specify things like the number of sinks and the location, grease trap accessibility, fire hoods and additional ventilation, refrigeration needs, counter and fixture materials, smoke alarms, lighting, and many other aspects. The entire design process can be made simple just by knowing the menu items for sale at your concession stand. Different types of items such as prepackaged vs. cooked food can determine the necessary components in the concession space and more components such as sinks and counters, could mean a bigger space and a bigger building causing cost increases later down the line.
Prioritizing Security Accessories
The size and locale of the sports park in question can also have ramifications when designing a pre-engineered building. In Texas, a high school football field will be a popular spot that requires more than one concession window.
Yet in other venues, security might be a bigger priority than services. In those areas, it will be proactive to supply security bars or screens for the concession window and upgrade the door hardware for increased protection. Thinking about these aspects of the location will ensure a long-lasting and enjoyable concession building for managers and patrons alike.
Romtec has over 20 years of experience in designing and building concession stands. We love sports and want to be sure that your sports complex or park has a fully functional, secure, and attractive concession building for fans to enjoy for a long time. Contact our sales staff with any questions you have or simply to talk about your project, or you can visit our building solutions page to see some real projects Romtec has completed at sports complexes around the country.
Sport Complex or Park Size Impact on Design
An important consideration when designing a new restroom, concession stand, or community building is the size of the overall park or complex. A park with 5-6 fields that is big enough to host sports tournaments, larger community events, concerts, or other gatherings may need a larger restroom building to accommodate such events.
More restrooms in the building may be a part of that plan for a larger sports complex along with a larger concession stand window or concession space. Having enough restrooms is important to serving the number of people who attend events to ensure there aren’t long waits for using the restrooms.
Typically, multiuser restrooms are a good option in larger restroom buildings that help service a variety of events. Another option is many single user unisex restroom units that provide individual units that anyone can use. These are especially helpful for parents with small children or parents with disabled children who need help using restroom facilities. It provides privacy, security, and a place for caregivers to help children change or use the restroom.
Pavilion Considerations
Parks that have many community events throughout the year, or during the summer, may be interested in a covered pavilion to provide a shaded space that also is beneficial in the wetter months of the year to provide a dry outdoor space.
A covered pavilion has many uses and can be a great asset to a park or sports complex that provides a space away from the weather elements for enjoying food with picnic tables. Providing shade in a park or a sports complex that doesn’t have a lot of trees is helpful for everyone to get out of the sun and enjoy some much-needed downtime in between games.
At Romtec we design and supply pavilions to match the aesthetic using wood or steel depending on the desired look of the building. We can also design the pavilion to match the restroom or concession stand nearby. Generally, the design comes down to the needs and desires of the park department and how they want to service the park.
Community Buildings
Creating a community building that serves the needs of the park or sports complex can be taken from a vision or idea from the parks department. A community building with restrooms, concession stands, and a space for group events like birthday parties, meetings, etc. is an excellent resource for every community.
Having a designated indoor space connected to a restroom building provides a unique place inside of a park for people to gather that is connected to outdoor space for recreational activities like playgrounds, sport fields, hiking trails, nature viewing, and other activities.
Sports have been an integral part of communities all over the country as they provide a positive tool and outlet for kids to learn and grow. As parks departments and sports complexes plan their spaces it’s important to think about the various ways the building and park infrastructure interacts with visitors to these spaces.
At Romtec, we have the design experience to create one-of-a-kind concession stands, restroom structures, pavilions or community buildings that highlight the parks that host these great sporting events.
