PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aramark Sports + Entertainment (Aramark, NYSE: ARMK), the award-winning food and beverage provider at seven National Hockey League (NHL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) arenas, and its team of world-class culinarians are bringing fans a special gameday hospitality experience for the 2023-24 season. Guests can expect a wide range of new menu items and local partnerships, premium club and suite upgrades, and convenient technology to increase speed of service.
“Aramark is committed to creating memorable food and beverage experiences for the thousands of sports fans, concertgoers, and special-event guests who we serve at arenas across the U.S. and Canada,” said Alison Birdwell, President and CEO of Aramark Sports + Entertainment. “We have continued to build on our dynamic offerings through a variety of new menu items, local partnerships, and customized solutions to improve speed of service at checkout.”
GAME DAY GOES GOURMET
Game Day Goes Gourmet is Aramark’s latest limited-time culinary program that introduces an elevated take on gameday favorites with unexpected ingredients infused into all seven menu items. But guests will need to move quickly to order these specialty offerings because only 24 of the coveted dishes will be sold at each game during the 2023-24 season!
Fans will be encouraged to snap a photo and tag @AramarkSports if they’re lucky enough to snag one of the below:
- 24stK (Wells Fargo Center): Smoked beef rib topped with truffle cheese sauce, caramelized onions, and A.1. demi sauce and served on a Liscio Bakery roll. (Location: Section 117)
- Cadillac Michelada (SAP Center): Modelo Especial® with clamato juice, rimmed with tajin, and topped with cucumbers, shrimp tail, lobster tail, oranges, and limes. (Location: Club 104)
- Carbonara Mac n' Cheese (Canadian Tire Centre): Macaroni topped with Canadian cheese curds, sharp cheddar, Italian Grana Padano, and pork belly. (Location: The Chef’s Kitchen, Section 225)
- Cleveland Hot Kobe Frank (Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse): Kobe beef hot dog served on a brioche bun topped with kale slaw, Cleveland hot sauce, onion tangler, and ranch dressing. (Location: Loudville Grill, Section 216)
- Pittsburgh Crab Crake Sandwich (PPG Paints Arena): Crab cake sandwich topped with apple slaw, remoulade sauce, sliced tomatoes, and French fries on brioche bun. Served with chips. (Location: Stand 212)
- Texas Smoked Wagyu Stacker (Frost Bank Center): Smoked Wagyu tri-tip on sourdough bread with chipotle crema and jalapeño coleslaw. (Location: Section 115)
- The New Fashioned (Capital One Arena): Ritual Zero Proof® Whiskey Alternative (non-alcoholic) with cherries, bitters, and simple syrup. (Location: Stand 407)
SPECIALTY COCKTAILS
- Adult Slushies (SAP Center): Peach mango, blue raspberry, strawberry, and watermelon tajin. (Location: Slush Cantina – Section 306)
- Garrison Brothers Bourbon (Frost Bank Center): Specially curated single-barrel bourbons at 94 proof and cask strength. (Location: Charter Level, North L Bar)
- Hat Trick (Canadian Tire Centre): Dunrobin Earl Grey Gin, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, simple syrup, cherry bitters, and soda. (Locations: Club Red, Club Bell, The Ledge, BERT’s, Brookstreet, and Dunrobin Craft Distillery)
- Kicking Ginger Mule (Canadian Tire Centre): Wayne Gretzky’s No. 99 Ice Storm Vodka, lime juice, ginger beer, and mint. (Locations: Club Red, Club Bell, The Ledge, BERT’s, Brookstreet, and Dunrobin Craft Distillery)
- Light the Lamp Margarita (PPG Paints Arena): Casamigos™ Tequila, Owen’s Craft Mixers Margarita Mix, pineapple juice, and cranberry juice. (Locations: Bars in Section 118, 101, 110, 207, and 230)
TECHNOLOGY IMPROVES SPEED OF SERVICE
Another key component to delivering the best possible guest experience on gameday is the deployment of innovative technology that gets fans back to the game faster by improving speed of service and eliminating long checkout lines.
- Guests at Capital One Arena now have access to ReverseTap Smart Dispensers from GS Draft System Solutions powered by DraftServ and Zippin. The hands-free, quick-fill system uses specialized equipment and cups to fill draft beer from the bottom, avoiding excessive foam. Fans can enter this checkout-free market in Section 108 by showing a valid, government-issued ID. Once age is verified, fans insert their payment method, grab a ReverseTap cup, place it on the tag corresponding to their beer choice, and the system does the rest. There’s no stopping for checkout; fans get a more personalized beverage experience every time. Follow the link here for a tutorial on how to use GS Draft ReverseTap Smart Dispensers.
- Providing bar-quality cocktails at the push of a button, Bartesian cocktail machines continue to expand their footprint throughout sports venues, with new units introduced this season at Canadian Tire Centre, Capital One Arena, Frost Bank Center, and Rocket Mortgage Field House. Bartesian is streamlining operations and enhancing the guest experience for those who are verified 21+ with valid, government-issued ID. With Bartesian, venues can craft premium cocktails across in-seat mobile ordering, concessions, and premium spaces.
- SAP Center will be introducing SpotOn as part of its ongoing technological advancement on the suite level. The handheld tablets, which will be used exclusively by suite attendants, increase speed of service and communication flow, decrease food travel time, and improve the overall guest experience.
NEW RESTAURANT CONCEPTS AND ARENA STAPLES
Aramark is teaming up with several local restaurant partners to add hometown flavors for NHL and NBA fans in addition to the tried-and-true arena staples and fan-favorite dishes:
Restaurant Concepts
- SA Central (Frost Bank Center): New centralized location where fans have a choice to order from local restaurant favorites. Restaurants include Bunz Handcrafted Burgers, Two Bros BBQ & Shuck Shack by Chef Jason Dady, and Fruiteria by Chef Johnny Hernanadez (Location: SA Central, Plaza Level, Section 105)
- CHIKO (Capital One Arena): Chinese Korean fusion offering crab rangoon, bulgogi loaded tots, sticky Chinese ribs and more. (Location: Stand 106)
- Stuggy’s Sandwich Shop (Capital One Arena): A Baltimore staple known for its clever gourmet hot dogs is coming to the arena this season. Menu items will include the viral crab mac and cheese dog as well as the DC dog, mini corn dogs, and cheese curds. (Location: Stand 105)
- Launch Test Kitchen (Wells Fargo Center): Fans can keep an eye out for a variety of their favorite local brands which will rotate throughout the season in the Launch Test Kitchen. (Location: Section 107)
- Little Miner Taco (Capital One Arena): A local restaurant partner to the Washington Wizards, fans can try out various tacos, street corn, and more. (Location: Stands 107 and 432)
- Barbacoa Taco (Canadian Tire Centre): Introducing a tapas-style restaurant created in-house by Aramark’s culinary team. Guests can pick three menu items for one price. (Location: Club Red, Level 100, and Section 116)
- SAP Center has introduced nineteen local restaurant partners this season with cuisine ranging from soul food, dumplings, and sushi, to cheesesteaks, and Halal. Locations vary.
Arena Staples (Sandwiches, Burgers, Pizza, Fries, and Tacos!):
- Barbacoa Pita (PPG Paints Arena): House-braised barbacoa topped with pickled onions, chopped cilantro, cotija cheese, and chipotle aioli. Served with house chips. (Location: MAKE Stands – Sections 103 and 111)
- Chicken Pesto Sandwich (Wells Fargo Center): Chicken breast on a ciabatta roll with basil pesto, melted fresh mozzarella cheese, and arugula. (Location: 9th Street Italian Sandwiches – Section 104)
- Fries and Floats (Frost Bank Center): Fans can have the best of both worlds with loaded French fries, root beer floats, or orange soda floats. (Location: Charter Level North)
- Gyro to Hero (SAP Center): San Jose Shark fans won’t have to travel to the Mediterranean this season to get the richness and flavor of Greek cuisine. Featuring items such as pita wraps, Greek bowls, and hummus. (Location: Section 227 and Club Section 116)
- Hickory Sticks “Cheeseburger” Nacho (Canadian Tire Centre): Hickory sticks in a bag filled with ground beef ragu, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, and spiced crema. (Location: Ottawa STREET EATS – Section 212)
- North Shore Street Tacos (PPG Paints Arena): Your choice of two chicken or chimichurri beef tacos with toppings. Served with chips and queso. (Location: Arena Favorites – Section 212)
- Taquitos (SAP Center): Rolled tortillas filled with beef, cheese, or chicken topped with pico de gallo. (Location: Slush Cantina – Section 306)
- The GYRO (Canadian Tire Centre): Shaved lamb and beef with creamy tzatziki, cherry tomatoes, romaine, and feta cheese on a grilled Greek pita. (Location: Ottawa STREET EATS – Section 212)
- Veggie Cheesesteak (Wells Fargo Center) Mushrooms, onions, and green and red bell peppers with melted provolone cheese on a Tuscan roll. (Location: First Line Steaks – Section 110)
- Walking Taco (Wells Fargo Center): Choice of Doritos®, Tostitos® or Fritos® with beef taco meat, melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, and lime crema. (Location: 9th Street Italian Sandwiches – Section 104, First Line Steaks – Section 110, and Patti & Sons Grill – Section 122)
NEW PREMIUM SPACES
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Club and Suite Upgrades at PPG Paints Arena:
- Penguins fans can now catch the on-ice action from the comfort of the all-inclusive Casamigos Club that features three food buffets with gameday fare ranging from carved meats to desserts to domestic beers and wine.
- Guests can also experience the finest personal service in two new ice-level Bunker Suites that hold 20 guests each. (Location: Suites 91 and 92)
- Penthouse Lounge at SAP Center: This brand-new premium, all-inclusive suite space will offer high-end food and beverage options all while sitting in movie theater-style seats.
EXCLUSIVE RETAIL MERCHANDISE
- Frost Bank Center: The Spurs Fan Shop offers the widest assortment of Spurs products and memorabilia anywhere, with something for every unique fan. This season, the Spurs have again pushed the boundaries of limited-edition collaborations with a collection that bridges music and sports fandom. The Shania Twain x San Antonio Spurs Tee – available now at the Spurs Fan Shop – is a limited-run of 500 T-shirts celebrating both the Spurs and nineties Canadian country icon Shania Twain.
- PPG Paints: PensGear will offer a variety of basics and collectibles for all ages this season with featured brands including YETI®, FrostBuddy. Line Change, Sportiqe, and UNRL. Expanded apparel offers will be available at PensGear at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, the Penguins’ official facility, and at PensGear.com.
- SAP Center: The Sharks Pro Shop will offer exclusive collections for Sharks Theme Nights, beginning with Los Tiburones, as well as a Black Out Collection with Sport Design Sweden. On the Club Level, the Lagunitas Market will have an expanded selection of apparel from upscale brands like Travis Mathew, Tommy Bahama, Picnic Time, and more. Fans can sign up online at SharksProShop.com for info on new product drops.
About Aramark Sports + Entertainment
Aramark Sports + Entertainment serves more than 150 award-winning food and beverage, retail, and facility service programs in premier stadiums, arenas, convention centers, cultural attractions, performance venues, and unique entertainment destinations across North America. The company has received accolades for industry innovations including autonomous markets, dining concepts powered by artificial intelligence, and high-profile events like NBA All-Star 2022 and MLB at Field of Dreams. In 2021, Aramark entered into a strategic collaboration with the Philadelphia-based Starr Restaurant Organization, led by entrepreneur and James Beard Award-winning restaurateur, Stephen Starr, which will bring the renowned culinary visionary’s highly sought-after concepts to clients throughout Aramark Sports + Entertainment’s portfolio. Aramark ranked No. 1 in the Diversified Outsourcing Services Category on FORTUNE’s 2022 List of ‘World’s Most Admired Companies’ and has been named to DiversityInc’s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” list, the Forbes list of “America’s Best Employers for Diversity,” the HRC’s “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality” and scored 100% on the Disability Equality Index. Learn more at www.aramark.com and connect with us on X (formerly known as Twitter) and LinkedIn.
About Aramark
Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves the world’s leading educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, prominent healthcare providers, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 18 countries around the world with food and facilities management. Because of our hospitality culture, our employees strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and the planet. Aramark has been recognized on FORTUNE’s list of “World’s Most Admired Companies,” DiversityInc’s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” and “Top Companies for Supplier Diversity,” Newsweek’s list of “America’s Most Responsible Companies 2023,” the HRC’s “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality,” and scored 100% on the Disability Equality Index. Learn more at www.aramark.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Instagram.
