Tailgater Concierge takes the work out of partying

CHICAGO – Love tailgating but hate the hunt for parking, the setup, the cleanup, all that … work?

Former McDonald's Chief Marketing Officer Neil Golden has the solution for your chichi ways: Tailgater Concierge.

For about $55 to $90 per head, Golden's new business will deliver a grill, cooler, groceries, a canopy, chairs and nonalcoholic beverages to a prime tailgating spot outside the college stadium of your choice, nationwide. Don't want to get your soft hands dirty on the grill? Tailgater Concierge provides a chef, too.

The idea of catered tailgating might seem to fly in the face of tailgating's do-it-yourself ethos: The high prices will rule out all but the wealthiest students and alumni, and some die-hard locals and spatula-wielding fans may even see it as an affront.

But Golden thinks he's found a niche just waiting to be filled — successful grads returning to their alma mater from out of town for the weekend.

"As a lifelong fan of college football, I've seen firsthand how much work fans put into the tradition of tailgating and realize that many just want to enjoy their time with friends and family, not deal with the responsibility of owning, hauling, setting up, taking down and storing their own equipment," he said.

"There are fans who have taken tailgating to a remarkable level — God bless 'em," he said, but added that most fans who enjoy tailgating are "not quite as vested" as the hard-core fans who spend thousands of dollars to bring tricked-out RVs and giant drum smokers to games.

Though catered tailgating businesses exist all over the country, Golden's attempt to create a "consistent, national" brand is new and will allow him to rely on insights from his 24 years at McDonald's, he said.

Golden resists comparisons to the growing trend of glamorous camping, or "glamping," in which urban sophisticates pay top dollar to experience the great outdoors in high style, but he is betting that two groups of college football fans will be willing to shell out premium prices: recently graduated superfans of college teams looking to reunite with their college pals, and well-heeled older alumni keen to have everything taken care of by a hospitality industry pro and a team of current students.

"They think that it represents a good value," he said, adding that simply finding a good tailgating spot at many schools is expensive and requires a season ticket.

He has deals for prime tailgating spots with 18 schools across the U.S. — including Arizona State University, Northwestern and UCLA — where he has hired and trained students. At bigger schools, he has the capacity to handle up to 75 tailgates at once, he said.

It's yet to be seen how seasoned tailgaters will respond.

Cahn's only concern about Tailgater Concierge was that clients who are paying up to $90 each might be reluctant to share, he said. And "a chef who is charging by the head might start counting people."