I was surprised and disappointed by ESPN’s recent industry-wide report and ratings related to the cleanliness of professional sports venues, including Verizon Center. Since we acquired Verizon Center from Washington Sports and Entertainment six weeks ago, we have been planning and making improvements. Please be assured that we take the complaints of our customers extremely seriously, and quality and cleanliness are paramount.
We remain in the early stages of our evaluation process, and the ESPN report touched on some of the elements we have been examining and will be vigilant in improving. We will redouble our efforts immediately and review all facets of the issues identified. Once we have the facts, we will embark on remedies.
From what I understand, the ESPN report stems from incidents in 2009. These professional inspections are conducted several times throughout the year, are unannounced and are public record. When and if issues arise, we will take appropriate action, and from what I understand we have done exactly that in the past.
Aramark and Levy are our concessionaires at the arena. We have had a good relationship with both of them throughout the years, and we count on them to maintain a clean, safe, courteous and responsible service environment for our customers. Aramark recently launched a website to demonstrate and highlight their continued commitment to food safety, www.aramarkqualityfood.com.
The past couple of weeks I have talked about my plan to walk a mile in our employees’ footsteps and participate in the cleaning process. I now will step up those efforts and make this a top priority. I will personally get involved in the process and the solutions. We are on it; we’ve already started. We will move this issue from one that appears shocking to one that is a source of pride. I promise.
Tags: ESPN, Ted Leonsis, Ted's Take, Verizon Center
Sounds like an episode of Undercover Boss. The only “problem” is you’re so open with the fans and employees you’d be recognized in a second. I look forward to my next brisket dog in October and would love to have a gyro at Verizon Center someday.
Thanks Ted. I admire what you’ve done so far, and appreciate that you are focused on this problem.
Please consider vegetarian options too! I’m a vegetarian and Caps season ticket holder and I can not describe the frustration I feel when trying to find a variety of healthy food I can eat while rocking the red.
Problem is Aramark is a major provider of food to prisons! Prison food and sports don’t exactly go together. Perhaps a riot would improve things! So Ted expect us all to bang our spoons in unison this year if the food does not improve!
Regards, your friend as always, Bob.
Thanks for addressing this appaling issue Ted, I’m kinda ill thinking about my kids eating this each time they come with me. Also I think we need an Arena Security txt # we can send unruly or dangerous fan reports to anonymously or at least more dicsretely than now… I hear the Kansas City Chiefs do that to remove the fear of “tattling”.
Keep up the goodwork and bring us THE CUP!
I was so impressed be the interview that Ted did with Jim Rome a couple days ago that I want to try and contact Ted to offer my employment services. I am an unemployed administrative manager with 21 years worth of experience and I am ready to immediately move from Huntington Beach, CA to the DC area to help Ted run his businesses in whatever way shape and or form that makes the most efficient sense. Can you help me to get in contact with Ted so I can send him my resume and thoughts?
Thanks
Aramark runs all the food court concessions in GWU’s Marvin Center on the Foggy Bottom Campus. I have found their front line staff to be, with no exceptions, rude, uncaring, disinterested, lackadasical, unmotivated, and listless. It is no surprise to me that, in their hands, VC is an embarrassment to you.
rat poop or no rat poop, I am behind you and the wiz and caps 100% !!
Ted;
It’s commitments and promises like these that make you a leader in the industry! I hope you keep elevating the bar to a higher level with each passing season. Keep up the good work, and keep developing our teams and setting goals!
C-A-P-S, Caps! Caps! Caps!
What about these violations, Ted?
http://washington.dc.gegov.com/webadmin/dhd_431/web/?a=inspections&alpha=V
**Scroll down to Verizon Ctr. Warehouse**
Ted, here’s another thought. You should simply go to a stand at the 1st period/ 1st quarter break and order chicken or a cheeseburger, and wait 5 minutes that would be the trip back to your seats then eat it. Or should i say, attempt to eat it.
Instead of your custom food you import for your pals in your suite,which probably is real food, you simply don’t have a clue.
You talk a lot, but don’t really ever do it, do you Ted?
So, here’s the challenge. Go eat VC food right off the line, and feed your family and friends. Odds are at least one of them will get sick and when you can’t stand the hamburger or frozen chicken that’s cold when you buy it, you’ll have a better idea of the food lack of quality.
But until do it, you’ll never know and since you’ll never do it, you’ll never know.
You hungry pal, Jake
[...] Leonsis has already explained what he is doing about the problem on his blog. I’ve added cleaning this up the list of [...]
I have no doubt you’ll follow through. You are a class act!
Ted - I have to be candid with you. I’ve been in seven or eight different NHL venues as I like to travel and I like to see the Caps play. Verizon’s food is, bluntly, terrible. Tampa Bay’s food was miles better, as was BankAtlantic Center’s. While VC has excellent food around the arena, there are very few quality choices inside. The pit BBQ is okay, though their service is slow, and that cart that carries fruit and cheese plates rocks. Beyond that, about the only thing that might not be a tasteless lump that I have to pay obscene amounts of money and wait an age for is the pizza, and that’s if I’m lucky enough to catch it as it comes out.
I’d like to see Aramark repplaced. There are better food quality options.
I should add - the absolute worst are the burgers and the nachos. I could wipe the ketchup off a burger, toss it on the ice and chances are nobody would notice the difference. The Italian place swims in grease, and the macho cheese bears an eerie resemblance to rubber cement.
Every fan makes a financial choice to come to a game and to decide whether or not to buy concessions. The Caps in particular have been committed to delivering a great product for the money. Especially in light of the premium prices for hot dogs, nachos, etc. at VC, I would hope that similar strides can be made in the quality (and safety) delivered by Aramark.
I swear, Mr. Leonsis, you must be the best boss in DC. And probably the whole east coast.
-Jason
Those weren’t chocolate sprinkles on my ice cream???
While i am grossed out by the report, the silver lining is there is room for improvement. Thank you for your efforts.
I remember the days when outside food was allowed inside.
I would really like to see allowing outside food inside again.
I don’t know the exact reason why this was stopped. I am guessing that Aramark felt they were loosing potential profits from those who brought their own food.
If it was for security reasons, I am wiling to open up my sandwich to show security the ham and cheese.
When colder weather comes in the heavy coats make it far easier to sneak my own home made sandwich into the arena. I would love to be able to stop sneaking it in.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:
Best. Sports. Franchise. Owner. Ever.
Ted,
Really glad to read your response to the ESPN report. You’ve brought first-rate management to the Caps, and now it’s time to bring that same first-rate management to the Verizon Center. There has to be zero tolerance for food safety and cleanliness violations. Keep after those vendors!
A D.C. Pens Fan
Thanks for being on top of this, Ted.
[...] to the cleanliness of professional sports venues, including Verizon Center,” Leonsis wrote on his blog. “When and if issues arise, we will take appropriate action, and from what I understand we [...]
I’m not sure I understand. Are you disappointed to be selling tickets to events in a sub-standard facility, or that ESPN reported upon it?
Mr. Leonsis, Sir I have no doubt that you will walk in your employee’s shoes . you seem do to no less with all you do . You do it all with unmistakeable class., I have a great new idea for your food services for the Verizon center, and the implementing of 4 star sanitation procedures. Please email me should you care to discuss this venture futher,
Thanks Gerald Moroney
Ted,
Recommend you send some of your key staff members to a Hershey game and study their food vendors, in depth. Look at the variety of the menu, the presentation and the prices. You will be truly amazed. We are Caps STH and attend about 15 Hershey Bear games a year - we know what we are talking about.
I hope you get the point Ted! I’ve been going to games at the Phone Booth since it opened, and the food has always been crap. I realize that all you can do is sell the vending space, but it’d be nice to see some more vendors like the old Chinese place outside section 101 and the Italian place that moved into the same space. I realize food at sporting events will always be extremely overpriced, but I also know from going to many other venues that it doesn’t have to be as bad as it is at Verizon Center!
I love you for all that you’ve done for the Caps and how you treat the fans that support them, now I hope you extend that good treatment to my tummy!
Here’s an idea:
You don’t have to get rid of Aramark completely, but how about getting some unique concessions like at Nationals Park, i.e., Ben’s Chili Bowl, Five Guys, etc.
I agree with B. You are too recognizable to “walk a mile in your employees shoes”.
Therefore when you participate in cleaning and other activities, you must dress like a ninja.
A ninja at VC will attract less attention than a Ted Leonsis