Patriot Place ‘Well Below’ Expected Public Safety Impact While Exceeding Town’s Revenue Projections

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Editor’s note: All data presented in this article relates solely to Patriot Place and does not include data from Gillette Stadium, the New England Patriots, New England Revolution and other stadium events.

With an unprecedented commitment to public safety and alcohol management, Patriot Place is operating well below the development’s expected public safety impact in Foxborough, according to a performance analysis presented by Patriot Place General Manager Brian Earley.

“For a development of Patriot Place’s size and significant food and beverage business our tenants generate, these are significantly smaller public safety incidents relative to what other developments of this size are experiencing,” Earley said of the public safety data presented at Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting.

Earley and Dan Murphy, the Kraft Group's Vice President of Business Development and External Affairs, were invited to Tuesday’s board meeting to discuss Patriot Place’s performance to date and where the development was in relation to the town’s revenue and public safety projections from the 2006-07 Koff Report.

“Goal of presentation was to give a little perspective in what I consider to be a perception vs. reality gap regarding Patriot Place and most specifically public safety,” Earley said.

The data presented Tuesday showed Patriot Place outperformed revenue projections in fiscal year 2012 by 50 percent while operating under 75 percent of the expected public safety impact.

“Patriot Place has worked extremely hard to provide the most unique offering of dining and entertainment options to the millions of guests who see us as the most distinct dining area in the market,” Earley said. “All these businesses are thriving through the very hard work of owners and operators.”

As for public safety, Earley and Murphy hoped Tuesday's report would address any misperception in town that Patriot Place’s public safety impact has been higher than originally projected by the town in the Koff Report.

“When tenants were before the board the last two times – for the Saga transfer and also the Trader Joe’s transfer – there was a lot of comments and constant message from both series of public meetings about a feeling that there’s too many liquor licenses at Patriot Place and that it is a burden on public safety personnel,” Murphy said. “We took those comments very seriously and we’ve researched them independently as well as with the police department and what we found out is although there is a perception, it is not the reality up there at all.”

Patriot Place currently holds 14 liquor licenses in town:

• Renaissance Hotel & Spa
• CBS Scene
• Davio’s
• Red Robin
• Toby Keith’s
• Tavolino Pizza Gourmet
• Olive Garden
• Cinema de Lux
• Showcase Live
• Skipjack’s
• Bar Louie
• Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro
• Blue Fin Lounge at Bass Pro
• Trader Joe’s
• Saga Hibachi – Coming soon

Earley said in fiscal year 2012 there were 895 total police-related calls at Patriot Place, which is less than 75 percent of the 1,200 projected calls in the Koff Report. Of those calls, only 251 – or less than 30 percent – of the calls resulted in either a custody or an arrest, according to Earley.

What’s more impressive is those 895 police-related calls were out of 1.8 million food and beverage customers at Patriot Place – or .0005 percent.

Selectman Lorraine Brue, who voiced her own concerns with public safety issues at Patriot Place during Saga Hibachi’s liquor license hearing, praised the Kraft Group and Patriot Place tenants for their dedication to public safety.

“The numbers are miniscule compared to the number of visitors who come to our town,” Brue said of the data presented Tuesday. “That’s a great accomplishment for all the businesses who are able to provide safe alcohol service and I think that needs to be recognized. We are very fortunate in that way.”

Patriot Place’s success in public safety and alcohol management can be linked to its financial commitment to safety and the establishment of many programs for tenants to participate in.

“Some of the programs here are the programs Patriot Place requires restaurants to participate in to assure the safe service of alcohol is front and center when it comes to operations at each venue,” Earley said.

Patriot Place Programs:

• Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management - Coalition certification training for all on-site licensee serving staff

• Licensed security support

• Annual awareness seminars on safe alcohol service campaigns in conjunction with Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office and local chiefs of police.

• Implementation of center-wide “Be A Hero, Be A Designated Driver” Program

• Coordination of on-site police details with Foxborough Police Chief

• Piloted a “Safe Ride Home Program” on New Year’s Eve 2012

Earley said according to the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission, Patriot Place is the only retail/dining destination in the state with an alcohol management “as thorough as this.”

Financially, Patriot Place and its tenants commit $140,000 to the town as a supplemental assessment for public safety as required from the projections of the 2007 Koff report, according to Earley and an additional $350,000 each year in paid police details ensuring police coverage at the complex comes at no cost to the town.

While the public safety impact is well below the town’s projections, Earley stressed Patriot Place management and tenants are not resting on their laurels and are continuously looking at ways to improve alcohol management and commitment to public safety.

Earley highlighted several programs Patriot Place is looking to implement in the future:

• “Looking into employing a service consultant to provide comprehensive training to all licensed operation staff in best practices for responsible alcohol sales.”

• “Establishing of a Patriot Place Licensee Forum for all liquor license holders on a bi-monthly or quarterly basis featuring guest speakers involved with community liquor service enforcement and best practice training.”

• “Development of an on-going ‘Safe Ride Home’ program through a taxi service contract. Patriot Place provided New Year’s Eve car service for any guest at any restaurant – offering a free safe ride home. We had 14 guests take advantage of the program.” 

As for revenue, Earley said Patriot Place’s hotel occupancy and meals taxes generate the complex’s highest sources of revenue to the town – after the $2 million generated in real estate tax each year.

The good news for Foxborough is this revenue source aligns with the type of expansion the Kraft Group is targeting for Patriot Place – more restaurants and more hotels.

“By 2010, Patriot Place contributions to the town exceeded Koff Report projections for full build out,” Earley said. “By 2012, net revenues exceeded projections by 50 percent and we are looking to grow that number by attracting new businesses to Patriot Place.”

To watch Earley’s presentation in its entirety, view the video above or click here. 

NOTE: Foxborough Patch will take a closer look at Patriot Place’s financial contributions to the town in Friday’s newsletter. Click here to have the story sent directly to your e-mail’s inbox!