What's up with Breakwater Cafe?

kylepark said:

I think the two north wings of Sandcastle next to Breakwater Cafe should be demolished, and construct a new high rise tower offering new amazing views of Lake Erie. Once the new hotel is complete, the remaining part of Sandcastle can be demolished for parking.

If they are going to raze Sandcastle at some point it would make sense for them to raze Breakwater at the same time. Theres nothing remarkable about the building, it is pretty nice and could look good after a remodel. But for overall functionality, including it in a 'new Sandcastle' would make more sense financially and also provide more parking in place of the old building.

A lot could be done with it actually as part of a new hotel that isn't as easily marketed as a seperate structure. Also using the beach as a backdrop is preferable to the current location.

XS NightClub said:
This does not take in to account that other parks, even in the CF chain & KI in Ohio even, have healthier/healthy and actual edible food throughout the parks (I understand that most parks have some outlets with poor service & bad food). However, this is a particular issue at CP. Maybe their highly touted and infallible market research tells them to stay the course, or that there's no additional revenue gain or guest satisfaction from better options.

Well I guess their market research is fallable then. We have gone to CP 4 of the last 5 Columbus Day weekends. Yeah, I know, I know... We knew going in it would be busy. But our strategy has always been to enjoy the rides Friday night and Sunday, and Saturday will be for shows and other HalloWeekends activities because the ride lines will be ridiculous. And it worked until last year when every food stand had a minimum 30 minute wait for sub-par food even for CP's standards. The wait times were strictly due to poor service; the food was ready and available. Anyway we aren't going this fall. We are gonna check out Kings Island or Dorney Park (would've added Hersheypark along with DP but HPitD doesn't start until the following week, they are closed Columbus Day weekend) instead. Yeah still Cedar Fair but only because we have Platinum Passes this year.

I wouldn't necessarily buy what is considered healthier food, but I would like upgraded, so called, unhealthy food. Better burgers, pizza, chicken sandwiches, etc. The Frontier Inn chicken fingers are a good start and the new food service at CP Shores sounds promising. Serving some really good burgers on the midway would make me a happy customer.

Shane Denmark said:And it worked until last year when every food stand had a minimum 30 minute wait for sub-par food even for CP's standards. The wait times were strictly due to poor service; the food was ready and available.

This doesn't surprise me. While back when I worked in the park, we were only open for 2 bonus weekends after Labor Day and all the good help was gone. Everybody was back in school. I worked in Food Service as the catering manager and had to staff and run the pop-up concession stands for the Boat Show. Most of the staff were local kids with nothing better to do.

^ But it was never that bad in previous years, and I'd even say this year wasn't as busy as previous years because the weather wasn't a gorgeous fall day.

XS NightClub said:
Maybe their highly touted and infallible market research...

Highly touted? Sure. Cedar Fair seems to be doing alright. Infallible? No.

... tells them to stay the course, or that there's no additional revenue gain or guest satisfaction from better options.

Or maybe the Cedar Fair executive team is prioritizing. They're building up Carowinds to be, as Don Helbig mentioned at NoCoaster year before last, the Cedar Point of the South. I can see upgrading food service being part of that.

Cedar Point, the flagship park, is getting lots of physical improvements to the property -- Breakers, Cedar Point Express, Cedar Point Shores -- and perhaps food service is a lower priority right now.

(I can't help but think of McDonald's: sure, they sell billions of burgers. That doesn't mean they sell good burgers. When they introduce healthier options, those options tend to underperform. Maybe Cedar Point is in the same boat? People vote with their dollars.)

CPNostalgia said:

Are you sure you're not me? This whole paragraph is literally me. Well, except for the part where the peach fanta is diet, but I always get the regular peach fanta at the park.

Here's a couplet for you: I'm pretty sure that I'm not you and you're not me, but having things in common is so nice to see. :) (On a side note, I tried out the RougaCool Freestyle flavor from 2015 the other day--60% Strawberry Sprite and 40% Peach Mello Yello--and I think it could be my new second favorite Freestyle drink! I liked it a lot more than 2016's FlavaRavn Fizz, which was kind of a weird combo if you ask me--70% Cherry Vanilla Pibb and 30% Orange Fanta. Of course, I'm doing them all as diet/Zero versions, so the taste may be different. I wonder who comes up with these mixes?)

Another thing with the food at Cedar Point: from what I've seen, there's hardly any "signature" or "local" food that we have here in comparison to some of the other parks in the chain. The best example of this would be Kings Island, who has their signature blueberry Smurf ice cream and Skyline Chili, Graeter's ice cream, and LaRosa's Pizza, all of which are local chains from the Cincinnati area. Cedar Point has the Berardi's french fries and maybe the Frontier Inn chicken, but those aren't nearly as known as the blueberry Smurf ice cream at KI; similarly, while we do have chains here, only one chain is local (Toft's Ice Cream). None of the other chains at Cedar Point are from the local area (Chickie's and Pete's is from Philadelphia, Pink's is from Los Angeles, Quaker Steak is from Pennsylvania, and Panda Express/Johnny Rockets/Famous Dave's/TGI Friday's are all nationwide). I suppose part of the issue with including local food is the fact that "local" for Cedar Point could refer to Sandusky, Cleveland, Toledo, or Detroit; all in all, I think that the park's food options are pretty generic, and I feel that the proposed Melt franchise would definitely be a step in the right direction, both local-wise and signature-wise. And who knows; when the license/franchise for Pink's expires, maybe Tony Packo's could take its place.

Not Tony Paco's, I'd rather see Happy Dog from Cleveland in there. I'm very underwhelmed with Pink's. The hot dogs are bland and the French fries are poor. The onion rings are so greasy they could double as motor oil. Not at all what I was expecting with the reputation Pink's has. I would much rather get one of CP's regular dogs that they sell on the midway or a brat from Dive In.

Sorry Pete. My vote goes for Tony Paco's. Very good food and a good reputation. And definitely local. They might even bring along an autographed bun or two.

Wasn't Cedar Point's Pinks location originally marketed as the first Pink's location East of California (or something like that). If that's the case, get me some In-N-Out Burger and I will pay extra for animal style fries each visit. That just me though

I'd gladly take In-N-Out in place of Johnny Rockets

Sadly, it will never, ever happen in Ohio.

Pete said:

I wouldn't necessarily buy what is considered healthier food, but I would like upgraded, so called, unhealthy food. Better burgers, pizza, chicken sandwiches, etc. The Frontier Inn chicken fingers are a good start and the new food service at CP Shores sounds promising. Serving some really good burgers on the midway would make me a happy customer.

Are those strips served park wide?

^ Are you asking about the chicken tenders at Frontier Inn? They are exclusive to Frontier Inn, everywhere else has high school cafeteria chicken fingers.

Pete said:

...I'm very underwhelmed with Pink's. The hot dogs are bland and the French fries are poor. The onion rings are so greasy they could double as motor oil. Not at all what I was expecting with the reputation Pink's has...

I would second your sentiments on all of this....however have you ever tried a burger from there? I just had my first one this past 4th of July and didn't think it was that bad. The smell coming from Coasters turns me off so I've yet to try one from there, and Johnny Rocket's? Blech, at least another location I've tried. I agree with the lack of a great burger INSIDE the park, which is why if I want one, I just go over by the Marina to Famous Dave's.

I've never had a Pink's burger, I'll have to try one.

Agreed about the Famous Dave's burgers. Their ground beef and brisket blend makes for a really good burger. The Devil's Spit Burger is my favorite there.

From what I've read on the CP website, it seems like the Crystal Rock Cafe will also have the fresh tenders this year.