Miller Park vendor's plea to Milwaukee Brewers fans: Beer here, and nowhere else

James B. Nelson | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Show Caption Hide Caption A look at new Miller Park food and beverages Rick Schlesinger of the Milwaukee Brewers introduces new foods and beverages that will be at Miller Park in 2017.

Milwaukee Brewers fans attending games at Miller Park should get their beer from vendors in the seats — and only there, argues longtime brew purveyor Ryan Strnad.

The in-seat beer vendor has bought two billboards near Miller Park cryptically promoting his recently created group called Drinks in the Seats.

While the billboards don't provide details beyond the name, a little more information is available online at drinksintheseats.org.

There, a mission statement says Drinks in the Seats seeks "to advocate consumers the importance of purchasing their alcoholic beverages from in-seat vendors while attending sporting events at their favorite stadiums. Most notably, the one in southeastern Wisconsin, that one with the roof."

Fair enough — a beer vendor hawking his wares. After all, some of the vendors' shticks are among the most-memorable parts of a baseball stadium experience.

But Strnad, a one-time unsuccessful Republican candidate for state Assembly, has broader ambitions for the organization, which he says is also a political action committee.

Strnad wants to end sales in the concourses because they cut into the sales of vendors like himself.

"We're past the point where we are thinking 'enough is enough,' " said Strnad who works in left field loge sections. "Sales in the concourses are hurting our sales."

It's fair to say the idea — and the billboards — have fallen flat with both his employer, Sportservice, the Brewers and some of his co-workers.

Some thirsty and thrifty fans might disagree with him, as well.

At the start of this season, the Brewers and Sportservice parent Delaware North Corp., announced a $20 million revamp of the Miller Park concessions. The new offerings include a large stand in right field dedicated to Wisconsin craft beers.

The new concessions have been well-received, said Ken Gaber, general manager for Delaware North Sportservice.

"We're here for the fans," he said, adding one goal of the new concession stands was "to shorten lines, and to shorten wait times."

Overall, sales are up compared with previous years, Gaber said.

The Brewers had much the same to say when asked about Strnad's effort.

"Fan feedback is our ultimate report card, and we have been very pleased with the positive response to the reimagined concessions at Miller Park," said Rick Schlesinger, Brewers chief operating officer.

"The positive feedback extends to not only the quality and variety of offerings, but also the increased points of sale throughout Miller Park," Schlesinger said. "We welcome and appreciate suggestions from all of our stakeholders, including vendors, but customer satisfaction will always be our top priority."

Strnad said he has another frustration, beyond the spiffed up competition. On a per-ounce basis, it's cheaper to buy beer in the concourses.

"That has really been a factor in our sales," he said.

Although he's a steward for the union representing beer vendors, the Workers United SEIU, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union, Drinks in the Seats is Strnad's personal effort. And it's basically only him. He's selling T-shirts through a website and at events like Mukwonago's Maxwell Street Days to help pay for the billboards.

Strnad said he plans to challenge the beer license for Sportservice, the company that employs him, when it comes up at City Hall in September. He wants an end of beer sales in the concourses — with the exception of the TGI Fridays restaurant — to be a condition of the license renewal.

"We'll be asking elected officials to intervene and stand up for the low and middle income workers" at Miller Park, Strnad said.

The jobs of some of his co-workers — those working in the concession stands — would be jeopardized in the unlikely event that city officials went along with him.

Strnad has stirred attention in the past. In 2014, he, along with the union, raised concerns about Sportservice plans to install two self-service beer vending machines, claiming they would steal business from the unionized workers. The machines never caught on, however, and were removed after a short time.

Strnad said he's aware that the broad goal of Drinks in the Seats is likely to be dead on arrival.

"To be honest, yes," he said. "But we have to start somewhere."