Anheuser-Busch InBev Stops Flow Of Free Beer At Parks

Nothing in life is free. Nope, not even Budweiser beer at Busch Gardens or other Busch Entertainment Corp. hospitality centers, including SeaWorld Orlando.

Busch Entertainment Corp. told employees this morning that free samples of Busch's premier product no longer will be provided to theme park patrons.

And Busch Gardens employees of legal drinking age no longer will get two free cases of beer a month.

Busch employees and theme park aficionados alike have expected change since InBev, Europe's largest brewer, bought St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch two months ago for $52 billion.

The new company, Anheuser-Busch InBev, is expected to sell the theme park division's 10 parks and focus on making and selling beer, but the poor economy is hindering those plans.

The Belgian brewer has a reputation for thriftiness. Busch Entertainment enjoyed a corporate culture with a parent company willing to invest in first-class facilities and widespread attention to employee needs to assure customer satisfaction at day's end.

Busch officials declined to comment beyond its six sentence e-mail.

In recent changes, Anheuser-Busch InBev said it would trim 1,400 salaried U.S. beer jobs, but no cuts have been announced at the theme parks and the new hospitality policy will have no effect on employment.

Annual admission prices to Busch Gardens were raised $2 to $69.95 on Dec. 26, following a standard practice in recent years. However Florida residents can qualify for year-round admission with that single price

Visitors of legal age will be able to buy beer at hospitality centers that will be converted into new facilities beginning this month, Busch Entertainment says in an e-mail response to questions about the new policy

The timing and details of hospitality center conversions will vary from park to park, Busch officials said.

The Busch Gardens hospitality house will close briefly at the end of January and reopen with a new café-style menu.

The SeaWorld Orlando location will close Feb. 1 for a longer period to be converted into a restaurant.