While Chargers fans have enjoyed a dramatic season so far, some are not happy with the prices of concession items at the stadium during home games.

“Beer used to be $3 or $4 pre-pandemic,” Debbie Tyler, who manages a car dealership, said. Now, it’s in the double-digits.

Although Tyler, 52, wasn’t on a budget, she said she skipped having chips for a Sunday football game she recently attended.

The rising prices of snacks and drinks such as hotdogs, chips, and beers, have left some fans and season pass holders with a bitter taste in their mouths, especially since inflation has hit residents in Inglewood and nearby cities pretty hard.

Fans say stadiums were once an important escape, a safe and healthy form of entertainment one could look forward to that also allowed for community-building among fans.

Now, fans report feeling the pinch on their pocketbooks and are realizing they need to avoid concessions or be more selective.

Chargers fans paid a lot less in their stadium five years ago in San Diego — closer to what was at the time, the NFL stadium average of $5.19 for a hot dog and $7.50 for a 16-ounce beer, according to a 2017 Los Angeles Times story.

When SoFi stadium opened in September 2020, each of the food prices was a couple of bucks higher than predicted, based on prices at the league’s most expensive stadiums, and the cost of beer has increased since then.

Food price predictions vs. reality in 2020 & 2022

NFL representatives couldn’t be reached despite an email.

Sarah Hughley said she had a burrito, water, and an order of nachos and went over her budget by $5.

She said she hopes the higher costs are at least going to maintain the stadium and keep it looking fresh.

Tina Brown said she tries to stay away from the snack bar but her husband and son eat there often, so the higher prices on top of the increased cost of season tickets have affected her family. 

Lakaysha Redd said she came to the first game when Sofi stadium opened last year. Since coming back for the first time this year, she said she noticed some prices increased a bit more since then.

“I do understand alcohol is expensive but yeah, the prices are [high]. Especially with this stadium being in a middle-class environment,” Redd said. “A lot of people around this area are very supportive of the stadium. I think that the prices do need to be a little bit more cost-effective for the people, especially around this area.”

“Parking has always been kind of expensive. Now, it’s even worse since the price increased to $100,” Redd said. That’s triple the NFL stadium average of $32 about five years ago.

That’s why Redd is so careful with her budget at games.

“I bring my prepaid card with me, especially because everything is cashless here. I’ll bring about $20 just to tip. I put money on a prepaid credit card with a certain amount of money. When that money runs out I’m not buying anything else.”

Redd said the only silver lining is that the high cost of parking has led people to use their garages and driveways to rent out parking spaces: It’s easy money for local residents and fans score a deal.