Coney Island Poutine Cafe preparing 2,000 lbs of potatoes ahead of Riders game

Before Riders game day, Jamie Findlay carves potatoes into fine slices. The wedges are dunked into one of the many deep fryers in the kitchen.

She repeats this for eight hours.

It’s a long time to spend in the heat coming from the bubbling oil. Piles of fries are stacked everywhere she turns and whenever she takes a step, there’s a box full of spuds.

Findlay has 2,000 pounds of them to get through but it pays off later.

“We par-fry our fries and get everything set up so when we come in, it’s easy. Easy-peasy at the start,” Findlay says.

Findlay is the general manager at Coney Island Poutine Cafe, one of the vendors at Mosaic Stadium. The Riders home opener is not only a big day for players and fans but also businesses charged with mouths to feed.

After missing all of last season due to the pandemic, it’s not just the football players with some pre-game jitters.

“I’ve been anxious because (I’m) trying to remember everything and all the systems that we had in place,” Findlay says.

She expects to be busy during the game because when it comes to Rider Nation, they are legion.

“Because we have one of the biggest booths, we’re gonna have a lot of people standing in front of our booth,” Findlay says.

Spectators looking to stuff their game face can expect to find on the menu: classic poutine, buffalo chicken poutine, pulled pork poutine, hotdogs and popcorn. It’s served in stadium size, meaning easier to hold while shuffling between the seats.

While COVID-19 has not been known to spread through food, Findlay will still take some precautions. There will be hand sanitizer at each till. Masks and gloves will be offered to staff.

Findlay is thrilled to serve fries and cheese curds on a Friday night, in the lights. The revelry and the fans? That’s just gravy.

“We’re just super excited to have something else to do because with COVID, we’re all just stuck in one bubble.”

Have patience during game, REAL president urges fans

A capacity crowd is expected at Mosaic Stadium for Friday night’s home opener.

Tim Reid, president and CEO of Regina Exhibition Association Limited, said after a lengthy hiatus, it’s going to take a while for game day operations to run without a hitch.

“I was chatting with the folks in Winnipeg early this morning and that was their learning lesson, people were excited to get back but everything that used to work just seamlessly 17 months ago just feels a little bit harder these days because we’re out of rhythm,” he said.

There will be more than 1,000 employees and 300-plus volunteers working the game. Reid’s advice to fans is to arrive early and to understand that a large event like this hasn’t been held in a while. As well, he is urging people to respect other people’s preferences when it comes to COVID-19 precautions.

“Just be patient with with your neighbours, be patient with those that are serving you and I think we’re gonna have a great experience,” he said.

“It’s like having a small town all come together for one night for dinner.”

— With files from Lisa Schick and Greg Morgan Morning Show