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Lately I've seen FLGS banning outside food, sometimes they serve their own, sometimes they don't. Sometimes they serve their own and it sucks... At any event this poses a problem if you are planning a day of gaming.

So Dakkas, what's your thought on this.

1. Are stores doing the right thing banning food? Can you see where they are coming from?

2. Is their food any good? What's the Quality been in your experience?

3. Have you seen FLGS be creative with it? Like have a food table off in the corner?

I haven't played in an FLGS in a long time, but when I did, we could bring food in. However, if you were messy, you'd lose that privilege pretty quickly.

1. I certainly understand where they're coming from. If you have terrain that you either built or bought, you don't want that investment ruined by some careless kid with a 32 ounce big gulp. Whether it's right or wrong is up to them.

2. The only places I'm familiar with that "served" food just had candy.

3. Not really creative. Just warnings about not spilling stuff.

I always fear the dreaded "cheetos-mitts" grabbing my miniatures, but on the other hand, I enjoy being able to swing by the White Castle across the road and bring it back to the store in between games, so I'm undecided.

Banning outside food and then serving your own is annoying, unless you actually have decent food. You're a game store, not a delicatessen. None of the stores in STL that I'm aware of sell food, though they do sell drinks. They do not bad either from outside. They typically run about $0.75 for a can of soda or bottle of water. I consider this reasonable and they receive my patronage on these value-add items frequently.

My local doesn't ban outside so people can bring in a pizza/maccas/subway but they do sell cans of drink and bags of chips. I personally think this is the best way to go about it, let people do what they want for real food, but then sell snacks and drinks.

my FLGS sells drinks(energy drinks, cola) and snacks(candy bars, chips). they also allow outside food which is nice. During tournaments they will also include pizza. Keeping ones blood sugar up does help thought process and emotional well being. But on the other side I can see why some would not allow it as it could lead to necessary mess in a retail environment(Who wants to clean pieces of food up off of the gaming table, or mop up spilled pop?)

I know in my basement my roomates and I have a 8x4 gaming table, but we do not allow food or drink on the table, they must be located elsewhere in the room.

I've also seen one store which allowed outside food, but moved to a different location, and stopped allowing it, and the smell drastically improved. Of course if this is the result of better ventilation or what not, I have no idea.

Im fine with LFGs banning food outright. nothing worse that cheetos dust all over my painted models......

Im fine with drinks though so long as they keep it off the table (sucks when you put your nice codex down on the table, not noticing that condensation ring)

Nothing kills good paint jobs faster than greasy fingers.
Aside from that... most LGS's I've been in allow food. It's better for business, generally, to allow it than not.
However, if I owned a LGS, I'd probably limit food to a designated area and enforce a strict clean-up rule.

Move to Ireland and solve your problems: http://dungeonsanddonuts.com/Index.html

My FLGS's allow food and drink in the stores. One even has a tack board full of takeout menus for ordering. Both sell snacks/drinks and I've purchased those products as well.

FLGS allows food, sells some drinks a few chocolates, it even has a microwave hidden somewhere if all the fastfoods around aren't your thing.

My FLGS normally bans outside food with the exception of organized events. Though they do sell sodas and candy. Main reason is cleanliness. A lot of gamers will "tuck" used food wrappers between shelves and in boxes when no one is looking.

Horror story a friend that worked there told me. When they were doing a major clean up and were throwing out a lot of old in-store copies of games because of age or missing pieces. They opened up one and out came a swarm of roaches. Last people who had played it threw all the used McDonalds wrappers in there.

My LGS is also a cafe. Asking them to allow you to bring outside food in would be akin to asking the owner if he would mind if I set up a booth at a corner table to sell minis I get online.

Boss GreenNutz wrote:
My LGS is also a cafe. Asking them to allow you to bring outside food in would be akin to asking the owner if he would mind if I set up a booth at a corner table to sell minis I get online.

Yup, that would be me I like to think we serve pretty good food as well, it's all freshly made (no pre wrapped sandwiches). I do allow outside food after we close our own kitchen at 9pm though.

 kronk wrote:

1. I certainly understand where they're coming from. If you have terrain that you either built or bought, you don't want that investment ruined by some careless kid with a 32 ounce big gulp. Whether it's right or wrong is up to them.

I actually saw this happen in a GW store I used to frequent. A MaccyD's supersize coke all over the store's new desert board. Ruined in a single move.

I absolutely embrace such a decision. I cannot stand people eating stuff - it prohibits proper communication and I consider it rude when people eat something while I play a game that includes socializing as well. Not to mention the trouble it might cause...miniatures and food just don't go well together.

 Sigvatr wrote:
I absolutely embrace such a decision. I cannot stand people eating stuff - it prohibits proper communication and I consider it rude when people eat something while I play a game that includes socializing as well. Not to mention the trouble it might cause...miniatures and food just don't go well together.

I wholeheartedly agree. It seems society has put food in everything nowadays.

My FLGS has a fully staffed kitchen that serves hot food as well as cans of drink, snacks and coffee. I've never seen an issue with outside food - their food is cheap and really good, so people just buy it there. Some days I'd bet they make more from serving food than anything to do with the hobby.

1: They dont here. Except yu-gi-oh nights they do ban food(you cant even have their own food in the game area)
2: Standard fair you would see at a convinance store.
3: Nope. Just throw away your stuff.

 MisterMoon wrote:

 Sigvatr wrote:
I absolutely embrace such a decision. I cannot stand people eating stuff - it prohibits proper communication and I consider it rude when people eat something while I play a game that includes socializing as well. Not to mention the trouble it might cause...miniatures and food just don't go well together.

I wholeheartedly agree. It seems society has put food in everything nowadays.

If I go in for a game and get there at 12, I'm going to want some lunch. I'd rather still give that money to the FLGS.

I do not wish for some person who is munching away at a piece of food to spill whatever he is eating near or on my models. And thus I am pleased that there is a ban on food in my FLGS

 -Loki- wrote:


If I go in for a game and get there at 12, I'm going to want some lunch. I'd rather still give that money to the FLGS.

Take a break and eat something while not playing, wash your hands, come back and play

I just can't stand people eating at the same time they're playing. In between games...fine, why not.

Snacks and soda at ours. No issues with spilling. They also order from a local place on request.

Most people run out between games and grab a bite, however.

 Sigvatr wrote:

 -Loki- wrote:


If I go in for a game and get there at 12, I'm going to want some lunch. I'd rather still give that money to the FLGS.

Take a break and eat something while not playing, wash your hands, come back and play

I just can't stand people eating at the same time they're playing. In between games...fine, why not.

I never said during a game. But I'll generally be eating a burger while my opponent is setting up his army.

As for washing hands - I dunno, maybe it's just my FLGS, but no one picks up anyones stuff without asking. Though we're lucky in that the store is off the beaten path so we don't get a whole lot of parents leaving their kids at the store.

My FLGS sells hot and cold food, and hot and cold drinks, and the general policy is that drinks are OK in the gaming area, but food needs to be consumed outside.

Thoughtfully, they provide some tables and chairs just outside the gaming area for this very purpose.

A smart business will sell snack foods as they will make a killing.on it.

 Desubot wrote:
Im fine with LFGs banning food outright. nothing worse that cheetos dust all over my painted models......

Im fine with drinks though so long as they keep it off the table (sucks when you put your nice codex down on the table, not noticing that condensation ring)

Better than putting it down not noticeing the gum on the table

The stores I've played in have been open about food, even the ones that sold snacks were very cool about outside food. There were even take out and order menus at three of them that I can think of. The store owners wanted to create an environment that people enjoyed spending hours in, and eating a lunch or dinner there was part of this. They seemed to understand and supported the practice within reason, ie no food or open drinks on the tables, which seems quite fair to me.

talljosh85 wrote:
The store owners wanted to create an environment that people enjoyed spending hours in, and eating a lunch or dinner there was part of this.

Very much this. Like I said earlier, if I'm going to the store at around 12 to have a game, I'm going to get lunch somewhere. I'd rather give that $10 to the FLGS rather than a fast food place. Not only that, a hot meal and a fun game is nice and relaxing, and opens the wallet a bit easier. After a day like that, I've often bought or ordered something that I wouldn't have otherwise.

It's also good revenue for the store if they're equipped to do it. My FLGS building used to be a resturaunt. So there was a fully working kitchen when they opened. Going to the local super market and buying a few bags of buns, some burger patties and some salad is very cheap compared to how much they get in return.

I don't have a FLGS.

That being said, I'd be OK with a "no outside food" policy, and would be just as OK with allowing in outside food, but I think it would be good sense to not allow food at the game tables.

I'd probably allow drinks but in this theoretical gaming store that doesn't actually exist, install cupholders on the tables so spills would go on the floor and not on the table, and would consider revoking that privilege if it became messy - it's a gaming store, not a movie theater.

What does Mikhaela do for this?