BILLINGS — As players hit the field for a Billings Mustangs baseball game, the team's victory flag waves softly behind center field in a breeze that belies bustling chaos unfolding behind the scenes at Dehler Park.
Curt Prchal, now in his 33rd year as the Mustangs' concession manager, navigates a whirlwind of activity every night for the Pioneer League franchise. And he loves it.
"Hey, I need you," Prchal offers with urgency to one of his dependable staffers.
Watch Prchal's team orchestrate the fast-paced concessions atmosphere in this video:
The Mustangs' director of food and beverage services is no stranger to the fast-paced demands of game day, often juggling a crew of approximately 60 employees.
"I'm headed your way," he radios to another, swiftly changing directions.
Prchal has the routine mastered while overseeing his concessionaires who tend to hungry and thirsty fans across the counter and around the park.
“Gotta go out and talk to somebody right now that has a question,” he says, darting from the kitchen to a concourse hightop where he thoughtfully answers a fan's menu inquiry.
"You can order anything off of there, any five that you would like," he says of a particular menu page.
The constant motion seldom keeps him in one spot for more than a minute.
"You never know what's being dealt to you on any given night," he says, on the move again.
Expecting the unexpected is part of the deal for Prchal, who says he arrives at the park around 7 a.m. on game days to sort through revenue reports and inventory. However, his true joy begins a few hours before the first pitch when his team arrives, keeping the mood light while swapping jokes and stories.
Prchal, a longtime teacher, estimates he's hired a few thousand past and present students over the decades, reflecting on the valuable connections he has built. Many of his hires were at old Cobb Field where he first began managing concessions.
"They know how to come to work, to work," he says leading the way to Dehler Park's outdoor grill where a Stang Burger is the ballpark's "golden goose, best hamburger west of the Mississippi. (We have) three or four window people, a couple cooks and then a lieutenant back there kind of managing things," he points out.
Back in the kitchen, Prchal checks on one of his do-it-all workers.
"Addie Snow is taking the order, she's cooking the order, she'll buss the order and then she will wash the dishes at the end of the night," Prchal says.
Now in his 70s, Prchal remains passionate, admitting he'll continue as long as he loves it. He's a busy body who lives for "busy."
So, what happens when the Mustangs are out of town, the ballpark is silent, concessions are locked up and the victory flag waves all alone? Prchal is far from the beer garden dealing with his own garden.
Naturally, still managing food.
