How Brooklyn’s Barclays Center Serves 18,000 People During an NBA Game | Eater
"A major Brooklyn arena that feeds massive crowds on event nights, routinely producing roughly 1,500 servings of popcorn, 1,200 hotdogs, 1,100 chicken tenders and countless burgers, tacos and sandwiches during a single game. Operations are highly choreographed: leadership begins preparations early in the morning, shifts are planned differently for concerts versus sports because of bar versus food sales, and kitchen output to suites is timed so food is hot when guests arrive. Suites are run like dozens of separate parties (sometimes serving the equivalent of 86 distinct groups), private clubs and concessions stage food to be set up 20–30 minutes before doors, and the whole venue can serve about 18,000 guests in roughly two and a half to three hours. Concessions are the most variable department, with a peak halftime crush that requires rapid turnaround in about 15 minutes to keep fans back in their seats." - Avery Dalal
