User:Zanimum/Food at Canada's Wonderland

Kitchen staff at Chippery, in the White Water Canyon area of the park.

Teriyaki Experience and Manchu Wok franchises on International Street.

The Marketplace, a buffet restaurant in Medieval Faire.

Food at Canada's Wonderland

As of 2009, the park had more than 40 food and beverage outlets, including buffets, high-end self-serve, as well as more traditional theme park offerings like hot dogs.

Staff evaluates menus at each restaurant, every off-season, looking for menu changes or complete reboots.<March 16, 2012>

When suppliers increase prices, the park generally will either decrease serving size while keeping the price steady, or increase both the serving size and price, simultaneously.

Outside food is not allowed in the park, with the exception of "special dietary need items", and plastic water bottles.<2008> Collected, sealed beverages collected at front gate are sent to a local food bank.<?> A picnic shelter is located outside of Canada's Wonderland, beyond the north side of the front gate.<2008>

In 1991, Pepsi-Cola Canada won the contract for exclusive soft drink supply to the park for five years, a deal including Kingswood Music Theatre Concert Series and Vortex roller coaster sponsorship.

Food and Beverage Department

In 2012, Joseph Soroka was hired as the park chef,<January 27, 2012> Wilf ___ became food exec.

Seymour joined the park in 2007, previously Executive Chef for Whistler Blackcomb, beginning as executive chef.

During January and February, the park does purchase orders for the upcoming season, looking at potential suppliers based on quality, service and price. Listed requirements include product quality, HACCP certification, and the ability to deliver enough volume of product to the park, on time, in refridgerated trucks.

Every season, more than 100,000 foot long hot dogs are sold at the park.

Staff restaurant

The most recent known name of the staff restaurant at Canada's Wonderland was Cornerstones.

Food history

Food on International Street, during the first season of the park,

Aside from Sweet Shoppe, funnel cakes, and a temporary small carts, International Street now focuses on franchised restaurants, including Dairy Queen, Manchu Wok, Mr. Sub, Pizza Pizza, Starbucks, and Teriyaki Experience. This location of Pizza Pizza apparently sells more slices than any other location in Ontario. The park is allowed to customize the chain's menus, such as the removal of Hawaiian pizza at Pizza Pizza for the 2010 season. Chains throughout the rest of the park at Dairy Queen (in Planet Snoopy, Splashworks and Medieval Faire), Mr. Sub (in Medieval Faire), Mixitup ICEE (Action Zone, Medieval Faire), Pizza Pizza (Splash Works, KidZville, Planet Snoopy), and Tiny Tom Donuts (International Festival, Planet Snoopy).

Breakfast options were once served at the park, in Alpenhorne (Alpine Building) and La Cantina (Latin Building).<Guidebook page 7>

Ethnic foods were featured at The Grande World Exposition of 1890, including a full range of Japanese meat, rice, and salad dishes at Ginza Gardens (with the notable exception of sushi), fried flounder, pancakes and pastries at Dutch Treats, a taco cart, and a cart offering its titular Flavoury Fried Vegetables, not outwardly connected with an culture. By 1991, the latter was named Veggie Stand, and located near Zumba Flume. Foods like potato skins were still fried.

Going with stereotypes of food in the Middle Ages, most things offered in Medieval Faire were meat-based. In particular, Yee Ribb Pytt and All's Well Hall, with a large variety of sausages and frankfurters, even beef and mushroom pies.

The Happyland of Hanna-Barbera first launched with Picnic Basket in the Yogi Bear section, offering steak on a stick, soft serve; Granny Sweets in Scoobyville, offering hot dogs, cotton candy, rosette waffles, ice cream; and in Bedrock, with hamburgers, fries, soft drinks and milk at Barney's Burgers, Pebbles with popcorn and caramel corn. Beverage availability was fragmented between locations: while both Granny's and Barney's offered soft drinks and milk, Picnic Basket sold fruit drink. When the Yogi section became Smurf Village, Picnic Basket became Clumsy's, and blue ice cream was added.

With the arrival of Planet Snoopy in 2010, Granny's became Snoopy's Supper Time, and added a halal chicken hot dog.

In 2009, Rice Bowl and a waffle stand opened in International Festival, next to the Tiny Tom. Experimentation with the menu in 2010 included chocolate-covered cheesecake on a stick. Before the 2011 season, Seymour revealed he was considering replacing the Rice Bowl with one serving vegetarian Indian cuisine, stating the location was in appropriate for the food Rice Bowl sold. Instead of the vegetarian offering, Alpen Top Dog replaced the location in 2012, each menu item available with beef, chicken, veggie, sun-dried tomato, basil sausage dog, or without a wiener at all. Varieties were Smoked Beef Brisket and Sauerkraut, Nacho Dog, Southwest Dog, chili and cheese, and veggie toppings.

Healthier options, particular for children, were made a focus in the mid-2000s. Kids combos offer fruit and juice as an alternate for fries and pop. Healthier pastas, and sauces were introduced. Rice Bowl offered a "Vegan Power Bowl" with ingredients like humus and Salba.

Changes for 2013 included a new Subway location in the water park, a Ben and Jerry's food truck at SplashWorks, kosher food stand Howie T's Burger Bar, front gate stand Breakfast Crepe, and a location of Beavertails. New menu items include a Mac and Cheese Bar in Backlot Cafe, an additional Coca-Cola Freestyle machine, and vegetarian poutine.

Funnel cakes

As of 2013, the park sold funnel cake flavours cotton candy, red velvet, cookies and cream, apple cinnamon, and "Our Fresh Famous Deluxe Funnel Cake".

During the opening season, funnel cakes were only offered at the Arthur's Baye Mill and Bakery.<Guidebook 10> Television crews regularly do spots at the park's funnel cake stands.<August 10, 2011> In recent years, almost 200,000 funnel cakes are sold annually.

As of 2010, all the strawberry sauce for funnel cakes were created in the park. The recipe for both the funnel cake dough and the strawberry sauce remain the same over years, under order. Some guests claim to visit annually specifically because of the confection.

A variety of novelty funnel cakes have been offered, connected to the time of year or other promotions. With the 2010 addition of Planet Snoopy, a Woodstock funnel cake, as well as apple cinnamon and apple crisp in the autumn. For a radio station stunt, they created a five level "Behemoth funnel cake".

Additional facilities

Maple Room is an events facility for small groups of no more then thirty at once near the front gate, in a private apartment like setup on the second floor behind International Street. The most recent known name of the staff restaurant at Canada's Wonderland was Cornerstones; previously it had been The Lemon Lounge and Oscar's and before that it was called Backlot Café but the name was changed when the restaurant in Expo assumed that name.

Group food booking are generally in King's Courtyard or Kingswood Music Theatre. King's Courtyard (as King's Courtyarde) debuted in 1982.

Other event areas not often in use are behind the Paramount Theatre in the basement or lower floor - it is usually used to supply very simple food for competitions and such - Also located by Kingswood theatre is the large white tent - it is used for events such as concerts often in addition to the Kingswood restaurant. - Behind the Kingswood stage - by the pond is a covered area not often used for events but has been known to host specialty events similar to the Maple Room where a slightly higher class of food is served.

External links

• Dining at Canada's Wonderland, official site
• Park Chef, blog of Wilf Seymour, Food and Beverage Director at Canada's Wonderland

Category:Canada's Wonderland Category:Restaurants in Ontario