SEG cuts prices on select concessions as SLC tax vote on Delta Center zone looms
Sep 30, 2024, 5:33 PM | Updated: 6:48 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — The Smith Entertainment Group is cutting their prices for a handful of concessions at this year’s Utah Hockey Club and Utah Jazz games.
It’s coming as another big change is on the horizon for the franchise — a vote on whether Salt Lake City will increase sales taxes to help renovate the Delta Center and surrounding blocks. That vote is planned for Tuesday.
Five concessions get less expensive
Smith Entertainment Group announced “fan friendly” concessions Monday consisting of five items that will cost just $2 and $3 dollars this season — hot dogs, popcorn, nachos, water and ice cream.
All five items together would have once cost fans about $32, but will now be about $15.
“We know how much tickets cost, and we want to provide as many accessible opportunities as possible,” said Chris Barney, Smith Entertainment Group president of revenue and commercial strategy.
NEW: The @utahjazz and @utahhockeyclub are announcing $2 and $3 concessions for the season. I also got a hot scoop about some other fan changes they’re announcing later today so stay tuned.
But, this comes as the all-important vote on a sales tax increase will happen tomorrow… pic.twitter.com/y9d6ssNrNs
— Lindsay Aerts (@LindsayOnAir) September 30, 2024
The cost of these concessions is something fans have voiced concerns over, Barney said. He said the company has used Qualtrics surveys over the past couple of seasons to ask fans about which items to make less expensive.
“As we’ve looked at the data, we want to remove as many friction points for our fans as possible,” Barney said. “That’s really the premise behind it, is trying to meet our fans where they’re at and deliver a first class experience for them.”
“The whole idea is having people be able to come here, enjoy a game, get merch, get food, and feel like they’ve walked out of here with a great experience,” he said.
The $3 fan-friendly concessions — popcorn, nachos, hot dogs, and Farr’s ice cream bowls — can be purchased throughout the arena at various designated vendors including, but not limited to, Craft Shops, Tenders, Summit Snacks and Farr’s Ice Cream stations. The $2 Dasani water bottles will be available at all vendors.
SLC tax vote looms
While stadium hot dog prices will go down, the price of a burger in Salt Lake City is likely to go up. On Tuesday, the city council is scheduled to vote on whether to raise the city’s sales taxes by half a percent. The contract and the zone, known as the participation agreement and the project area respectively, have to get one more approval from the city council before a vote on whether to increase the tax by .5%. The plans recently got unanimous approval from a legislative committee and Smith Entertainment Group has said they plan to invest about $3 billion of their own.
The tax money, $900 million over 30 years, would be used to expand the Delta Center and surrounding blocks. Barney said expanding the arena allows for more unobstructed seating.
“Having those additional seats is going to give us opportunity to just open accessibility,” he said. “And I think what I would point to is like our junior jazz program, we have 70,000 kids that will play junior jazz this year, and every one of those kids gets a ticket. And so we have every intention of building youth programs, working with our corporate partners, and working with our community relations team to make sure that there are, accessible tickets.”
The new concession prices are coming independent of the tax vote, but Barney said making it easier to go to games is something they’re working on. Plus, he noted, it’s required in their participation agreement.
“We’ve got some things that we have to do on our end. It’s definitely a two way street. And so like we look forward to leaning into all of those things,” he said.
