Dear NIU Huskie Supporter,

Thank you for your support at the NIU Football program’s opening win over Presbyterian College. You showed your Huskie Pride and dedication to our student-athletes.

Unfortunately, our premium experience did not deliver that same level of fan satisfaction. Sodexo, our premium catering and concession services, failed to live up to our standards of providing outstanding customer service. We apologize for this and are committed to re-earn your trust and confidence. We pledge an experience at the next home game that will be “second to none”.

We appreciate your support of our football program and look forward to seeing you again this season at Huskie Stadium.

Go Huskies,



Sean T. Frazier
Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics
Northern Illinois University

Kudos to SF. Have a problem, apologize and fix it.

Was there another hot dog issue?

Frankly (pun intended), I preferred the taste of the 2013 hot dogs to those Thursday.

We had zero issues. We went thru about $30 worth of concessions and definitely saw improvements.

(09-02-2014 09:20 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  We had zero issues. We went thru about $30 worth of concessions and definitely saw improvements.

The main issues were in the boxes and coaches club. A lot of high rollers were not happy.

(09-02-2014 09:24 AM)golf4501 Wrote:  

(09-02-2014 09:20 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  We had zero issues. We went thru about $30 worth of concessions and definitely saw improvements.

The main issues were in the boxes and coaches club. A lot of high rollers were not happy.

Ah...I see that now.


Did anyone give a report of the coaches club yet?

(09-02-2014 09:24 AM)golf4501 Wrote:  

(09-02-2014 09:20 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  We had zero issues. We went thru about $30 worth of concessions and definitely saw improvements.

The main issues were in the boxes and coaches club. A lot of high rollers were not happy.

Those are the 1% that you want to keep very very happy.

Received a UPS overnight letter regarding the same issue. Basically Sodexo took the blame and promised a much, much better experience next game. I didn't go into coaches club but my wife and friends wife did and they didn't come out raving about the food. I thought champions club was poorly presented and bare when I got there about 5.

(09-02-2014 09:25 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(09-02-2014 09:24 AM)golf4501 Wrote:  

(09-02-2014 09:20 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  We had zero issues. We went thru about $30 worth of concessions and definitely saw improvements.

The main issues were in the boxes and coaches club. A lot of high rollers were not happy.

Ah...I see that now.


Did anyone give a report of the coaches club yet?

I visited the coaches club. The food was average, and that lead to the apology letter.

There were 3 or four TVs in the room. Some showed the Huskies and some were showing the Bears. I personally thought the environment was a little too sheltered from the game experience. Why go to a stadium to watch the game from a bar? They should have at least piped in a radio broadcast of the game.

(09-02-2014 10:15 AM)Huskie_Jon Wrote:  

(09-02-2014 09:25 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(09-02-2014 09:24 AM)golf4501 Wrote:  

(09-02-2014 09:20 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  We had zero issues. We went thru about $30 worth of concessions and definitely saw improvements.

The main issues were in the boxes and coaches club. A lot of high rollers were not happy.

Ah...I see that now.


Did anyone give a report of the coaches club yet?

I visited the coaches club. The food was average, and that lead to the apology letter.

There were 3 or four TVs in the room. Some showed the Huskies and some were showing the Bears. I personally thought the environment was a little too sheltered from the game experience. Why go to a stadium to watch the game from a bar? They should have at least piped in a radio broadcast of the game.

I peeked in. Didn't look like much.

I sit in section E. My son was hungry before half. We went to the concessions just below E, center main concourse, and they were out of hot dogs with 5 min left in the 2nd quarter. We were able to buy 2 polish and they were ok. 2 polish, 2 chips and 2 pops were twenty bucks. There was not a far value to what we received.

(09-02-2014 10:45 AM)shack66 Wrote:  I sit in section E. My son was hungry before half. We went to the concessions just below E, center main concourse, and they were out of hot dogs with 5 min left in the 2nd quarter. We were able to buy 2 polish and they were ok. 2 polish, 2 chips and 2 pops were twenty bucks. There was not a far value to what we received.

I think the same area was out of nachos in the first quarter.

Maybe there was the thinking that instead of making more hot dogs they would increase the cost per hot dog, thus saving the inventory. We cant talk about moving to a big conference until we can make enough hot dogs hah

I used to own a bar/restaurant in Bucktown/Chicago. There must be a industry-way to perfect the system, but at first glance it appears as if it would be difficult to provide food not knowing if 12k or 20k will be eating...

The hot dog shortage fiasco lives on!! This has now become an NIU tradition!

From what I saw of the Coaches Club on the video, it sort of looks like the old Sixth Man Grille at the Convo, but on steroids. Obviously, a lot better food and drink, but it does not look like there are any places to sit. At least at the Sixth Man Grille, there were several tables where fans could sit.

P.S. At the current Sixth Man Grille, they have NEVER run out of the giant hot dogs!

(09-02-2014 11:21 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  The hot dog shortage fiasco lives on!! This has now become an NIU tradition!

From what I saw of the Coaches Club on the video, it sort of looks like the old Sixth Man Grille at the Convo, but on steroids. Obviously, a lot better food and drink, but it does not look like there are any places to sit. At least at the Sixth Man Grille, there were several tables where fans could sit.

P.S. At the current Sixth Man Grille, they have NEVER run out of the giant hot dogs!

What other food does the sixth man grille have? And it's only open during pre-game right? It'll be my first time having access to it

(09-02-2014 11:29 PM)goniu1523 Wrote:  

(09-02-2014 11:21 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  The hot dog shortage fiasco lives on!! This has now become an NIU tradition!

From what I saw of the Coaches Club on the video, it sort of looks like the old Sixth Man Grille at the Convo, but on steroids. Obviously, a lot better food and drink, but it does not look like there are any places to sit. At least at the Sixth Man Grille, there were several tables where fans could sit.

P.S. At the current Sixth Man Grille, they have NEVER run out of the giant hot dogs!

What other food does the sixth man grille have? And it's only open during pre-game right? It'll be my first time having access to it

Unless for some reason it changes this year, the Sixth Man Grille has its own dedicated concessions window. Aside from the monster hot dogs, there is a burger, chicken sandwich, other sandwiches, appetizers, a salad, and dessert-type foods (fried brownies!). The menu is not huge, but certainly adequate. Also available are beers on tap and wine. Prices are reasonable for what you get.

For free, you get popcorn, coffee, hot chocolate, and water. The Grille is open at halftime, where they serve cookies. The concessions area is also open.

So back to Thursday night...was it just that the food sucked at those places? Or that they ran out?

(09-02-2014 11:10 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  I used to own a bar/restaurant in Bucktown/Chicago. There must be a industry-way to perfect the system, but at first glance it appears as if it would be difficult to provide food not knowing if 12k or 20k will be eating...

Well if some areas ran out of hot doges by the 2nd quarter, it appears they prepared for only 8K showing up.

(09-02-2014 10:00 AM)NIUSAE Wrote:  Received a UPS overnight letter regarding the same issue. Basically Sodexo took the blame and promised a much, much better experience next game. I didn't go into coaches club but my wife and friends wife did and they didn't come out raving about the food. I thought champions club was poorly presented and bare when I got there about 5.

The champions club(tent) closes at 5:30pm, and opened at 2:30pm.. did you really think they were going to restock the food 30 minutes before closing.

I thought the tent was much better than previous years, with tvs, optional cash bar in addition to the Bud Light and Blue Moon on tap, not to mention the Winery(didn't have any but heard it was good stuff). Also seemed to be enough tables where 50% of us didn't have to stand.