TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Texas State Dining, powered by Chartwells Higher Education, is adding two new services at UFCU Stadium to shorten the concession lines this football season. The innovations will ultimately make the game-day experience more convenient and enjoyable.
Chartwells is opening Cats Corner, an artificial intelligence-powered touchless “smart market for beverage and packaged snack sales.” They are also partnering with StadiumDrop, a service that allows fans to have food and drinks delivered to their seats, so they don’t have to miss a second of the game.
“Our goal is to cut wait times for fans in line for hot food and provide much faster and more convenient service options for everyone else who wants to grab a quick drink,” said Whitney Villareal, director of marketing and guest experience. “If someone wants water, beer, or a quick snack, they can go to Cats Corner, set it down, swipe their card, and go. It eliminates the need to go to the concession stand. It’s also faster than a typical self-checkout system.”
The market uses Mashgin machines, which went online in the spring of 2023 at the Paws N Go Market and LBJ Marketplace. The system is touchless because there are no barcodes to scan or items to weigh. A 3D camera reads all the items on the tray at the same time. The market will be staffed to assist fans.
StadiumDrop customers in specific sections can order easy-to-transport foods and drinks delivered straight to their seats. Using a proprietary mobile app creates a faster concession experience. Menu items include hot dogs, popcorn, peanuts, pretzels, candy, bottled sodas, water, canned beer, seltzers and bottled wine.
“Fans won’t miss any of the action on the field while their food and beverage orders are delivered to their seats,” Villareal said. “It improves their overall game experience while reducing the time people ordering hot food have to wait for their orders.”
