San Francisco Giants Allow Fans to Order Concessions By Mobile Device

The Giants are turning to digital technology to give fans a new way to order a hot dog and a beer -- and possibly boost concession sales at the same time. The San Francisco ball club said that by July it plans to let fans use a cell phone or other wireless device to order food and drink via the Internet at AT&T Park. Fans will pay for their order using a credit card and then pick it up from a window at one of two concession stands on the promenade level. In addition to being a convenience for fans, the web-based concession system might boost the average amount spent per transaction. Fans buying food with credit cards at sporting events spend up to 22 percent more than buyers with cash, according to Visa Inc., one of the companies partnering with the Giants on the new system. The backbone of the new food ordering system is the ballpark's wireless network. The wi-fi system, which has been operating for four years, allows fans with web-enabled cell phones or laptops to access the Internet. The team has added new services to the wi-fi network each season. This year, for example, the Giants are posting as many as 25 replays of action from that day's game. Fans can also use the wi-fi network to get updated game statistics and information about AT&T Park or other Major League games. Once the Giants unveil the food ordering system, it likely will have a slow start. On average about 400 people per game -- or less than 1 percent of fans -- have used AT&T Park's wi-fi network since the beginning of the season. But that number has doubled from last year. http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2008/04/28/story5.html?b=1209355200%5e1625992