Fenway Park workers flagged potential public safety issues linked to customers buying beer at self-checkout kiosks and urged lawmakers Wednesday to crack down on the automated machines, while Boston Red Sox management and concessions employer Aramark defended their compliance with alcohol regulations and touted fan experience benefits.
Wearing green UNITE HERE Local 26 shirts, Fenway workers filled several rows of a State House hearing room in support of legislation sponsored by Boston Democrats Rep. David Biele and Sen. Lydia Edwards (H 325 / S 225) that would upend the operations of grab-and-go kiosks at sporting venues, stadiums and arenas.
“Grab-and-go beer coolers with self-checkout machines would not be permitted at bars, so why are they permitted at large venues?” Carlos Aramayo, president of the union that represents Aramark workers, asked the Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure. “We believe there is a reason alcohol has historically been kept behind the bar and inaccessible to patrons prior to a licensed professional serving them.”
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The bills require the sale of alcoholic beverages to be directly conducted and supervised by employees who are licensed by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission. Patrons would not gain access to any alcoholic beverage until the sale is finalized, and the drinks must be served to the patrons by employees, under the bill.
Supporters say the bills would tackle underage drinking, prevent the sale of alcohol to intoxicated fans, and limit theft. A survey among union members found nearly two in three workers have seen alcohol stolen at kiosks, 42% have seen “underage-appearing” customers at checkouts, 42% have seen intoxicated fans making purchases, 62% have seen fans drinking in line before paying, and one-third have seen purchases made without ID checks, Aramayo said.
Self-checkout alcohol service debuted at Fenway in 2018, with the park currently home to six such concession stands, said David Friedman, the Red Sox’s executive vice president of legal and government affairs. At least 20 out of 30 Major League Baseball stadiums use supervised self-checkout, as well as more than 230 major sports venues across the globe, Friedman said.
“The reason we have introduced supervised self-checkout food and beverage stands is to improve the fan experience by speeding up transactions without compromising compliance. The self-checkout process is designed to deliver faster service, allowing fans to spend less time waiting in line and more time enjoying the game or concert,” Friedman said. “Our self-checkout stands have reduced average transaction times by about 42 to 49%, nearly twice as quick. This efficiency is especially important in our 113-year-old ballpark, where extremely special space makes it critical to minimize congestion and keep lines moving.”
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ABCC and the Boston Licensing Board agents regularly visit Fenway during games, concerts and other large events, said Claire Durant, the Red Sox’s senior director of business and government affairs.
“To the best of our knowledge, we have never received violation notices related to the operations of our supervised self-checkout stations at Fenway Park,” Durant said.
Still, Durant admitted that mistakes happen.
“We are not always perfect, and it is possible that there may be isolated incidents or errors,” she said. “That is true at our supervised self-checkout stands and at our traditional stands, where an Aramark staff member processes the transaction. We hold ourselves to the highest standard, and we have systems in place to catch problems. Whenever we receive any reports of issues, we respond immediately.”
Durant said she’s not aware of any state or municipality that has restricted or blocked self-checkout for alcoholic drinks at sports and entertainment venues. She also extended an invite to lawmakers to visit Fenway, saying, “hopefully in the ALDS to come see for yourself how these operations work.”
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Disagreement surrounding the use of self-checkout alcohol kiosks has partially fueled contract negotiations between Aramark and workers at Fenway and MGM beat Hall. Those workers went on a three-day strike in July during a three-game weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, as they rallied for higher hourly wages and an end to automated concession sales that they contend could replace workers with machines. Workers also marched through Fenway Park last month during a high-stake series against the Yankees.
Amanda Savage, who’s worked at Fenway for the last 18 years and has sold beer for the last eight years, rattled off a list of incidents she’s witnessed at the ballpark. When some fans were in Fenway before the gates officially opened for a July game, Savage said she saw a customer manage to grab a beer at a self-checkout machine “even though the stand was not opened and it was fully unstaffed.” In August, Savage recalled seeing a customer paying for two beers while he had another two in his pocket, which is a violation of ballpark rules.
“I consider myself to be quick on my feet, but it can be extremely overwhelming when you’re the only person monitoring three or four self-checkout lines at a time,” Savage said. “I regularly find myself having to discount with an issue at one of the self-checkout kiosks at the expense of paying attention to all the other ones.”
Committee member Rep. Joseph McKenna peppered Aramark workers and Red Sox executives with questions about the uptick in alcohol sales tied to the automated kiosks. Derek Swartz, Aramark’s vice president of operations, said sales are “certainly” up for all drinks and beverages at the kiosks. Friedman added that sales can be impacted by the length of a game, “the nature of the game,” and weather, among other variables.
McKenna shared how his own fan experience has improved at Fenway due to the kiosks.
“I’ve also certainly consumed more because of that,” the Sutton Republican said. “The fact that I can today go grab a beer and miss one or two batters versus a full half inning has absolutely had an impact on my decisions to go back and grab another beer — which, whether that’s good or bad is probably a personal thing. But I think, anecdotally, (it) can lead to over-consumption throughout the stadium.”
Rep. David LeBouef asked Aramark workers how they handle potentially “volatile” interactions with customers at the kiosks.
Laura Moffatt, a Fenway stand worker for the past 18 seasons, recalled how trying to confiscate alcohol from one fan turned into a “prying back-and-forth situation.” Moffatt said she typically turns to Red Sox security for help. Workers assigned at kiosks are out in the concourse with fans, not behind bar counters that she said can offer additional protection.
“I just want to add, it is a lot harder to take an alcohol away from someone than it is to just not give it to them in the first place,” Savage said.
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