County hears Metropark update on tournaments, concessions and equipment upgrades

Metropark staff told the Yellowstone County Board of County Commissioners on April 8 that the park has finished its busy tournament season, reported concession sales and vendor revenue figures, and outlined planned facility repairs and new point-of-sale and inventory software that the park expects to activate in mid-June.

The update from Metropark matters because the facility hosts high-attendance events and the county-owned venue’s revenue, staffing and equipment decisions affect county operations, safety and vendor relationships.

Mike, Metropark’s food and beverage director, said the park finished its tournament run from Feb. 1 through March 31 with gross sales of $238,684.50, down about 13% from the same dates last year; he noted last year’s totals included two dance competitions and two concerts. “Fun facts, we sold 4,998 large popcorns, 4,469 small popcorns, 4,162 pretzels, 9,318 bottles of water, 2,640 hot dogs, and 10,033 large and small sodas,” Mike said. He reported contracted food vendors produced a total vendor gross that yielded a county take of $222,034.90.

Metropark staff described staffing challenges during the season, citing difficulty finding weekday morning help and several key employees who were injured and required time off or accommodations. Tony, another Metropark staff member, opened the update by noting the tournament season had concluded and that the park is moving on to other events, including an upcoming PBR weekend.

On facilities, staff said they replaced concession-stand floors with a grit epoxy finish after health department concerns about chipping paint; they will add stainless-steel overlays to front counters, replace roll-up windows at two booths that are beyond repair, and install anti-fatigue mats in kitchen areas. Staff also said they will replace the commissary double doors with a remote-controlled roll-up door to restrict access.

Staff described a forthcoming upgrade to the park’s point-of-sale system. The vendor (Shift4) is providing new hardware the county values at roughly $70,000 as part of a software migration; Metropark expects a go-live date around June 18. Staff also said they will implement a third-party inventory component they referred to as the "yellow dog" inventory system.

The updates conclude while the park prepares for the PBR event and other spring programming; staff said the facility improvements aim to improve employee safety, hygiene and equipment reliability.

Metropark’s update was presented during the county commission meeting’s operational reports; no formal votes or ordinances related to the park were taken at this meeting.