By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

As the Ham Complex becomes a destination for regional and state tournaments, as well as special events, visitors will seek out food and drinks to enjoy while watching a game or concert.

Finishing touches to the Snack Shack continue, but Rec Director Gary Colello is unsure what direction town officials want to go in.

To develop a full-service kitchen — equipped with hood system as well as fryers to cook French fries, griddle, ice machines and refrigerators — the price tag could top $45,000.

And, you need people to work the kitchen. Finding volunteers is a tall task these days, so Colello figures hiring at least two part-time staff at a rate of $16 to $18 per hour creates another expense.

“I thought it was important that we discuss how moving forward it will work because I can’t say that were going to somehow make the type of money to put this kitchen equipment in and the amount of staffing it will cost to run it,” Colello told the Bridgton Select Board at a recent workshop meeting. “What it will take is beyond what we have currently to operate it.”

“Is this what you really want?” Select Board member Carmen Lone asked Colello regarding the snack shack equipment purchases and staffing. “And when do you see this coming into existence?”

Colello has concerns “becoming manager for a restaurant,” pointing out trying to find staffing to run the much smaller Harmon Field snack shack is “difficult enough.”

“I’m concerned about the amount of effort and work it is going to take to run a snack shack that size plus another one,” Colello said.

Until the complex reaches “activity capacity,” Selectman Paul Tworog suggested downsizing the snack shack’s usage to simply include shelves for chips, granola, etc., as well as beverages.

“I too wonder about do we have enough opportunity to really justify the expense and all of the problems that go with it at this time?” Lone questioned. “I know 20 years ago when they first started developing the BRAG concept we did not have food trucks. We did not have a huge business right next door that has pizza, sandwiches and whatever. So, my question is do we invest and start big or do we start small and work up?”

“It doesn’t seem to be any real demand for this type of service…I’m certainly with Carmen in that there would be no way, shape or form that this could be the highest priority of the town or the highest priority of Rec at this moment,” Tworog added. “And, I definitely would not see us in any position where we would be thinking about adding staff. The extent of this is enormous.”

Colello said when Bridgton hosted the 2019 State Babe Ruth softball tournament, the weekend event netted almost $5,000 from gate fees and snack shack sales.

“There is potential out there, but I worry about booking tournaments because the fields are not in a condition for us to sell ourselves. We experienced that last summer when we tried to host the state tournament and one field flooded. We had to keep the tournament going from three days to six because we had to wait for the fields to dry out. Until the drainage is fixed and field positioning rotated, “booking a tournament in the next two years is unlikely,” Colello said.

With Amato’s and a food truck nearby, officials again questioned dumping major money into a full-service kitchen at the snack shack.

“The problem with the food trucks is there’s not a sustained level of business,” Colello said. “I will say that in my experience, the parents and families that do come to sporting events typically stay because they lose their parking spot. So there is a large percentage of people that I would say that do stick to the field and don’t leave until it’s time to leave. I would say drinks and fried food are the two major things that sell. That’s where the money is, where we make the most money.”

Selectman Ken Murphy sees the investment as part of the long-range plan for the rec complex. And over time, more development at the complex as well as scheduling of events will result in a profitable snack shack.

“It has a growth factor we’ve got to take into consideration,” he said.

Lone reminded the board that “we have more important priorities out there to spend money on,” and “this is a big dream for a lot of people, who have worked hard for this, I appreciate that…But, I think on the priority list, getting the fields prepped and working properly is most important.”

Chairman Bob McHatton added, “(Gary’s) job is being a rec director and developing the fields, not developing a restaurant. I think that for now that has to be put aside and we continue to develop the fields. The snack shack, I think, will develop itself over the years.”

Colello suggested that some items, like stainless steel tables, an ice machine and refrigerator, could all be useful, including for the summer rec program.

“So, the expectation at this point is just to work with what we have, not purchase anything. Is that what I’m understanding at this point,” Colello asked.

That is the plan, for now.