Concessions sales sink as baskets don’t

Concessions sales in Pauley Pavilion have dropped to nearly half
of what is typically earned, due to mediocre attendance at
men’s basketball games.

With the team performing at its worst level since before World
War II and with plummeting NCAA tournament hopes, students are
filing into Pauley at drastically lower rates and buying less
apparel.

Games which typically bring in $40,000 in food sales are only
earning $20,000, said Roy Champawat, manager of the operations
division of UCLA restaurants.

Though food concession sales have a “modest role” in
the overall sales of the Associated Students of UCLA, the
association can still earn up to $100,000 each year selling items
like hot dogs and nachos.

Champawat said he is not extremely concerned about losing this
chunk of revenue.

“It would cost us more than $20,000 this year, but
we’ll recover from that and rebuild next year,”
Champawat said, pointing out that the team could perform
differently next year and change sales.

The Association is hoping to recuperate the loss with profits
from two large events later this year: the Los Angeles Times
Festival of Books and the Mercedes Benz Cup, where combined
concessions sales typically exceed $600,000.

The recent empty stands in Pauley reflect this concessions-sale
plummet, with the lowest fan turnout this year being under 6,000
people. Last year, an average of 10,021 people packed the
stands.

Luckily for ASUCLA, many students who do attend the games are
almost guaranteed to purchase food at the concessions stands.

“When I go to the games, I usually end up buying
nachos,” said second-year cognitive science student Cory
Sambol.

Any uneaten food at the end of a game is donated to the homeless
and needy, Champawat said.

Food sales are only one component of concession sales while
BearWear ““ UCLA-emblazoned apparel ““ comprises the
other half.

Though low attendance at men’s basketball games has
resulted in a drop in food sales, the effect on BearWear sales at
the games has not been as significant.

“We’re not as reliant on concession sales since a
lot of people shop at the store before the game,” said Keith
Schoen, UCLA retail store director.

But just as the inconsistent play of the football team last fall
had a direct effect on BearWear sales, the 5-15 record of the
men’s basketball team has negatively affected emblematic
apparel sales.

Retail store officials are unable to give an exact figure for
attendance’s impact because ASUCLA combines BearWear sales in
the store and concession sales into a single figure.

Some students are more hesitant to attend the games this year
after seeing the team lose 15 of its first 20 games.

Sambol said he has missed a few more games this year than last
year, blaming it on the team’s record.

“It’s not exciting to see a losing team,” he
said.

Fourth-year business economics student Kenneth Kim, who
hasn’t attended a game yet, echoed these sentiments.

“If we were good, I’d be more inclined to go,”
Kim said.

But low attendance could also be attributed to students who are
just too busy to go.

Second-year physiological sciences graduate student Steve Runyan
said he hasn’t attended a basketball game in five years
““ not because of the team’s losing record, but because
of schedule conflicts.

“I just don’t have the time to go,” he
said.

Some argue that the team’s record shouldn’t
influence attendance.

Students should support their team regardless of its record,
said Keith Plantier, a third-year English student.