Today I want to discuss a feature of the food plan at Worlds of Fun that has been overlooked this year.
For the previous two years, the foods section of WOF has had a face and a personality: Kevin Williams, executive chef. He gave color and was a presence at the BBQ & Brew Festival, and all the other events that WOF sponsored. He also gave shape and meaning to the food service, and the various meal plans.
But there is a new execituve chef this year. I saw him once at the Battlecreek Barbecue when he was talking to someone else in the line and mentioned the fact. At that time I intended to say hello, but something intervened and I didn’t get to speak to him. Since then, though I have been at the park nearly daily, I haven’t managed to see him around. There is no personality, no presence.
With that lack of personality is a certain lack of direction and cohesion. Almost everyone I have talked to in the foods services has been cheerful and pleasant, but that hasn’t prevented some confusion and contradiction from one person to the next, even one supervisor to the next.
For example, I specifically asked about whether Turkey Legs were on the dining plan at Battlecreek Barbecue when the season started. I was told that they were. Yet recently they said they are not.
Likewise, at G’rilla Grill, we were told originally that we could only get a plain hot dog, or a corn dog, yet now we are told everything on the menu is available, including the brauts.
And then there is the Chicken Shack, which I still don’t know where it is on or not.
I went to guest relations this past week, and they shared what they had gotten from food services, which is supposed to be official, but I still don’t know for sure whether it is or not.
The plan just needs more explanation, and the food services just needs more presence and personality again.
The individual stores have presence and pleasant services, though some of them need to be more efficient. But there is no overarching sense to things this year, as there was in past years.
At The Rainbow 