The concession stand is all part of the experience at a hockey game and, with hockey games soon to return to Affinity Place for minor hockey and the Estevan Bruins alike, the city has decided to restart that part of the experience as well. 

Concessions will open up for fans starting right away as the Bruins play their first exhibition game at home this weekend. They'll be taking a few extra measures to make sure everyone is socially distant, so a few things will be different from your last trip to grab a hotdog. 

"You'll be lining up in three different windows," said city food and beverage services manager Diane Wenham. "The first window, the one closest to the multi-purpose room, is going to be a grab-and-go window. This window is for a very limited hot food menu of cheeseburgers, fries, hot dogs, and popcorn chicken." 

Everything at the first window will be premade and ready to go right away. The other two windows are going to have a more extensive menu, but will be online only. When you enter the facility, you'll be able to scan a QR code and will then have access to the online ordering site. 

"If we're not open, the app won't let you order," Wenham explained. "So we turn it on and off for the hours that we are open in the limited amount we have. You place your order online, and we have the full menu, so the gameday special, cheeseburgers, wraps, chicken burgers, taco in a bag."

The new app will also give you a countdown on your phone so you can know when to come to the window to pick it up. Which window you pick your food up at will depend on which section you're sitting in. It's been an adjustment for the city to get ready as hockey season approaches fast. 

"It was a little bit of work, but we have a really dedicated staff," said Wenham, "and everyone's been working really hard to make sure everything went smoothly. We hope that we roll it out smoothly. We know that there could be a few hiccups, but we hope people understand that we are doing our best to keep everybody safe."

Wenham also said that with spectators returning to the arena (albeit in smaller numbers) it was nice to be open again. The beverage services booth will be open to serve alcohol as well, but the lounge will stay closed for the time being.