– Spicy Snack Hacks, Chef Road Trips, and AI-Powered Ordering Lead the Lineup of Innovations –
PHILADELPHIA (Sept. 7, 2022) – The 2022 National Football League (NFL) regular season kicks off tomorrow, and Aramark Sports + Entertainment, the award-winning food and beverage partner at 10 NFL venues, is continuing to lead the way in hospitality innovation with new culinary creations and programs as well as self-serve and AI-powered technology offerings that push the envelope on what fans have come to expect on game day.
“As another NFL season kicks off, Aramark Sports + Entertainment is excited to showcase the work of our talented culinary teams in developing new and buzzworthy food programs and creative concepts that provide fans with the best possible dining experience on game day,” said Alison Birdwell, President & CEO of Aramark Sports + Entertainment. “Headlining this season are innovative takes on traditional fan favorites, out-of-the-box dishes as part of our new Snack Hack program, and the latest advancements in self-serve technology that increase speed of service at concessions stands – getting fans back to their seats as efficiently as possible to cheer on their home teams.”
INTRODUCING SNACK HACK!
Snack Hack is Aramark Sports + Entertainment’s latest inventive take on stadium food, featuring iconic snacks like DORITOS®, CHEETOS®, Sugar Daddy®, and more, transformed into entirely new menu items. Have you ever wondered what your go-to snack would taste like when turned into an entrée?
· Crabby Cheese Puffs Mozzarella Sticks (M&T Bank Stadium): Mozzarella cheese breaded with crabby cheese puffs and served with crab dip. (Section 125)
· DORITOS Corn Dog (Acrisure Stadium): DORITOS-breaded corn dog on a bed of DORITOS and served with nacho cheese. (Section 129)
· DORITOS Empanadas (GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium): DORITOS–encrusted empanadas with ground beef, onions, cheddar jack cheese, and avocado crema. (Section 111)
· DORITOS FLAMIN’ HOT COOL RANCH® Chicken Sandwich (Paycor Stadium): DORITOS FLAMIN’ HOT COOL RANCH-breaded fried chicken topped with lettuce, tomato, jalapeño Chow Chow, Four Alarm Cheddar, and pickles, served on a hamburger roll. (Sections 112 and 142)
· FLAMIN’ HOT® Nachos (Empower Field at Mile High): Raquelitas blue corn tortilla chips with FLAMIN’ HOT drizzle, queso fresco, and cilantro. (Stand 130)
· FUNYUNS® Dusted Polish Boy (FirstEnergy Stadium): Split link brat topped with crispy fries, Duke’s® Mayo slaw, BBQ sauce, and FUNYUNS. (Sections 139 and 240)
· Philly Jawns (Lincoln Financial Field): Dunkin’™ Macchiato Cereal crusted beef brisket and Monterey jack cheese croquettes served with Rita’s Wild Black Cherry Ice BBQ sauce. (Section 138)
· Pork Rinds Corn Dog (Soldier Field): Bacon cheddar sausage dusted in crushed pork rinds and topped with Cholula® Hot Sauce and sriracha aioli. (Section 125)
· Sugar Daddy® Brown Sugar Sandwich (U.S. Bank Stadium): Candied Sugar Daddy® bacon, coleslaw, and avocado spread served on a brioche roll. (Polaris Club)
· Texas Firecracker (NRG Stadium): FLAMIN’ HOT fried pickles soaked in cherry- and blueberry Kool-Aid® and with served jalapeño ranch. (Section 121)
NEW CONCESSIONS AND RESTAURANT CONCEPTS
Aramark Sports + Entertainment is mixing up traditional favorites to create all-new takes on gameday staples and partnering with hometown restaurants to bring local flavors to the fans. A selection of these signature dishes and new concessions include:
· Stadium Staples (Burgers, Hot Dogs, Fries, Nachos, and More!):
- Cherry Cricket Burger (Empower Field at Mile High): Seven-ounce beef patty smothered in aged white cheddar cheese sauce, bacon jam, lettuce, tomato, and pickle.(Section 127, United East, and West Club Markets)
- Fry STK (NRG Stadium): Waffles fries topped with choice of FLAMIN’ HOT Cheetos chicken tenders, smoked brisket, or pulled pork. Smothered in queso and other “fixins.” (Sections 101, 121, 132, 520, and 546)
- Giant Taco (Solider Field): Large, 10-inch crispy taco shell, stuffed with spicy picadillo, roasted black bean and corn relish, lettuce, queso blanco, jalapeños, and salsa verde. (Club Level, Section 312)
- Hawaiian Dog (NRG Stadium): Hot dog topped with pulled pork, crushed pineapple, and sweet chili sauce. (Sections 108 and 128)
- KCDilla Quesadillas (GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium): Choice of chicken or steak quesadilla stuffed with cheddar jack cheese, sour cream, and salsa pico de gallo. (Section 135)
o Mojo Pork Nachos (Acrisure Stadium): Pulled mojo pork, nacho cheese, corn salsa, jalapeños, cilantro sour cream, BBQ spice, and pork rinds on a bed of nacho chips. (Sections 129, 305, 526 and Champions Club)
o Lump Crab Mac & Cheese (Soldier Field): Creamy mac and cheese topped with lump crab meat. (Club Level, Section 214)
o Stockyard Burger (GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium): Hamburger topped with pulled pork, cheddar jack cheese, and ghost pepper BBQ sauce. Served with kettle chips. (Sections 109, 127, 321, and 345)
o Vegetarian Nachos (GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium): Traditional nachos topped with roasted corn and black bean relish, sour cream, pico de gallo, and guacamole. (Sections 131 and 322)
· Restaurant Concepts:
- Auntie Anne’s® (Acrisure Stadium): Multiple pretzel offerings made fresh on site, including plain, cinnamon, and the original pretzel dog, with a variety of dipping sauces. (Sections 135, 215, and 239)
- Buck Tui BBQ (GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium): Kansas City’s Thai BBQ concept will offer a smoked pulled pork sandwich, BBQ brisket sandwich, loaded pulled pork fries, BBQ brisket fries, and BBQ chili crunch nachos. (Sections 121 and 339)
- Caliente Pizza & Drafthouse (Acrisure Stadium): New partnership with Pittsburgh’s Caliente Pizza & Drafthouse will bring their award-winning pizzas to the stadium, with choices including plain, pepperoni, or combo pizza (pepperoni and sausage). (Sections 150, 206, and 230)
- E+O Kitchen (Paycor Stadium): Cincinnati-based restaurant will bring Asian cuisine to the stadium with new sushi stations on the club level. (Club Level, Various Locations)
- Frank Bonanno Concepts (Empower Field at Mile High): Seasonal rotating menu featuring Chef’s Italian roast beef dip, meatball parmigiana hoagie, and hot tots and chicken tossed in buffalo sauce and topped with ranch, pickled onion, bacon jam, and shaved parmesan cheese. (Section 119)
o Jousting Pig BBQ (GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium): Classic tastes from the Liberty, Missouri, restaurant will include smoked pulled pork sandwich, BBQ brisket sandwich, loaded pulled pork fries, and BBQ brisket nachos. (Sections 107 and 316)
- Philly Cheesesteak Co. on the roll (Lincoln Financial Field): Family owned and operated local food truck business offering freshly prepared Philly cheesesteaks. (Section 120)
- Philly Flats (NRG Stadium): Local Houston eatery will serve Philly-style cheese steaks and buffalo wings. (Section 112)
SELF-ORDER TECHNOLOGY
New in 2022, Aramark is continuing to disrupt the status quo with expansions on its convenient, self-checkout solutions:
· AI Self-Checkout:
o Aramark’s AI-powered, grab-and-go models paired with Mashgin smart-checkout devices get fans back to the game at record speeds. This near-contactless technology is featured in the new Drink Mkt at U.S. Bank Stadium as well as FirstEnergy Stadium’s multiple Walk Thru Bru stands and two of its C-Town Eats locations.
o Acrisure Stadium, Empower Field at Mile High, GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, NRG Stadium, Paycor Stadium, and M&T Bank Stadium will featureMashgin and Caper Counter express, touchless checkout systems, allowing guests to set, scan and go.
· Beer and Cocktail Capabilities:
o Mobile Beer Express: Acrisure Stadium will introduce Blitz Beer this season, powered by Tapin2, where fans can order a beverage from the Steelers app or via QR code, pay through their mobile device, and pick up their order at any of 12 new Beer Express locations after showing their valid government issued ID. FirstEnergy Stadium will also provide expanded mobile ordering capabilities through Cleveland Cold Ones.
o Bartesian: Providing bar-quality cocktails at the push of a button, Bartesian cocktail machines will be deployed in suites and on mobile bar carts at Empower Field at Mile High, GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Paycor Stadium, and U.S. Bank Stadium to serve premium cocktails to fans in less than 30 seconds per serve, after showing their valid government issued ID.
o TendedBar: Launched in the summer of 2022 during Empower Field at Mile High’s summer concert series, TendedBar is a 10-foot-long bar that can dispense 10 liquors and 18 mixers at a time. And, with digital age verification via Trueface facial recognition, the high-tech bar verifies guests’ age for each purchase and allows them to mix up a cocktail with a few touches of a screen. No need for fans to pull out their ID again when ordering a drink.
· Gear Up with Mobile Scan and Go: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium will feature a new retail shopping experience in Section 220. Fans will use the Chief’s mobile app to scan the barcode for any items they would like to purchase, next fans checkout through their phone and just exit the store. This innovative and convenient shopping process will elevate the experience and get fans back to their seats without missing a minute of the game. Aramark Sports + Entertainment is the exclusive retail provider at three NFL stadiums.
· Self-Order Kiosks: FirstEnergy Stadium is the latest venue to offer self-checkout kiosks with Tapin2 Technology at C-Town Eats (two locations) and Pilot Fast Favorites (four locations). Paycor Stadium has also joined the self-order movement with two new alcoholic beverage concepts throughout the venue – Drink Mkt and Walk Thru Bru. Additionally, GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium will expand kiosk ordering at its Walk Thru Bru and John Dough Pizza Co. locations.
CHEFS ON THE ROAD
Chefs on the Road is coming to the NFL this season – a program designed to offer new culinary experiences to sports fans through menu offerings that are authentic to the visiting team’s hometown cuisine. Executive Chefs from across participating Aramark Sports + Entertainment NFL venues will travel with the team to away games and serve their iconic, hometown dish in the club level of the host team’s stadium. The program enables fans to try new menu items from the rival team while cheering on their own, while providing Aramark the opportunity to invest and develop its culinary leadership through collaboration and exposure to different audiences across its accounts. Follow @AramarkSports and #ChefsontheRoad for dates and info on participating chefs.
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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 Twitter and LinkedIn.
