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Kids are playing league baseball almost daily at Harmon Park, but there are no concessions so far this season. Where’s the popcorn, hot dogs, soda, or even water? It’s a licensing issue with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).
The problem is two-fold: The concession stand itself needs to be licensed and then each operator needs a license. That’s new.
- Building license: “When the concession stand was originally constructed over a decade ago, it was never approved by the state for operation as a food service facility,” said West St. Paul City Manager Nate Burkett. “That is on us and we own it. We have been working with MDH to get the building properly approved and we are close.”
- Operator license: “We have got our application done. We have paid for it, and I think we’re just waiting for it,” said West St. Paul Baseball (WSPB) President Ben Yanez.
The Impact of No Concessions
The timing has been rough, with WSPB’s season starting in May. They host games four days a week with two to three tournaments in the summer. They’re already halfway through their season.
“We’re losing a lot of money, that’s for sure,” said Yanez. He estimates they bring in roughly $800 per week. The concession money goes to pay for equipment and kids who can’t afford the fees to play baseball. The high school concession workers are also missing out on their pay.
Ongoing Tensions
This all comes in the midst of ongoing tensions between the City of West St. Paul and local sports organizations. Last year when field rental fees went up 30-40%, the Two Rivers Athletic Association (TRAA) had complaints. So did WSPB. Then a few months ago a contract dispute between WSPB and the city over running concessions for the TRAA’s tournament had to be decided by City Council.
Those tensions have clearly spilled over into these licensing problems.
As an example, a refrigerator owned by WSPB failed inspection and needed to be replaced. Rumors spread that blamed the city, though the city already paid for $8,500 worth of new, commercial-grade equipment that’s ready to go, according to Burkett. When reached for comment, Yanez said he didn’t know the city had already bought the equipment.
Burkett cited unsanitary conditions in the concession stand going back to the fall of 2023 documented by staff, including mouse droppings, moldy food, and unidentified liquids. Yanez denied that assessment.
These kind of communication failures seem to plague the relationship between the city and WSPB.
What’s Next
Despite the tensions, everyone is working toward the same goal. “We all got to work together. We’re working on it, and it’s getting there,” said Yanez. “It’s for the community, so everybody’s trying their hardest.”
Yanez was hopeful the situation could be resolved quickly and WSPB could serve food during baseball games again.
“We want WSPB to be able to sell concessions. We are still working toward that,” Burkett said.
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