- Delaware North Sportservice extends food, beverage and retail services contract at Target Field in Minneapolis
Long-term contract encompasses array of food, beverage and retail services at the ballpark
BUFFALO, N.Y. and MINNEAPOLIS, 2017-Jun-09 — /EPR Retail News/ — Delaware North Sportservice, a global leader in sports hospitality and food service, and the Minnesota Twins have agreed to a long-term contract extension at Target Field in Minneapolis. Since Target Field opened in 2010, Delaware North Sportservice has provided a full breadth of food and beverage services in concessions, suites, catering and premium areas, as well as retail management.
“The Twins are a first-class organization, and we look forward to continuing this strong partnership,” said Carlos Bernal, president of Delaware North Sportservice. “We are extremely proud of the work we have done at Target Field, making it one of the top ballpark destinations in the country while also creating a game-day experience that reflects the very best of the Twin Cities.”
Over the past several years, Delaware North Sportservice has worked with the Twins to introduce new and distinctive dining options at the ballpark, including opening Minnie and Paul’s, a popular Twins-themed pub under the iconic center field celebration sign, and CATCH, an all-inclusive club on the mezzanine level that provides a one-of-a-kind game experience. Other additions to the ballpark have included the Barrio bar inside Gate 6, which was created in partnership with a Minneapolis-based Latin restaurant and tequila bar, and the Taste of Target Field food truck, which brings popular game-day dishes outside of the ballpark to destinations all across the Twin Cities.
“The Minnesota Twins are thrilled to be in partnership with Delaware North Sportservice,” Twins President & CEO Dave St. Peter said. “Delaware North is the global leader in enhancing fan experience through superior customer service and the presentation of the best in food and beverage. Their commitment to excellence has helped make Target Field one of America’s great sports destinations.”
Expanding the number of local food items has also been a focus at Target Field, with regional brands such as Kramarczuk’s Sausages, Andrew Zimmern’s Canteen, Izzy’s Ice Cream and Red Cow becoming mainstays at the ballpark. The local food presence has earned praise both locally and nationally, as did the venue’s hosting of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 2014.
Beyond enhancing the game-day experience for fans, Delaware North Sportservice has worked extensively with the Twins to be a leader among professional sports teams with its sustainability efforts. Through its companywide environmental stewardship platform, GreenPath®, Delaware North Sportservice has worked to achieve a nearly 80 percent waste diversion rate and helped Target Field become the first team in pro sports to achieve LEED gold certification for its operations.
The Twins also partnered with Delaware North’s travel division to open the Twins Grill at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in 2017. The eatery offers a distinctive dining experience by serving classic ballpark fare in an atmosphere designed to look and feel like Target Field.
Delaware North Sportservice operates food, beverage and retail operations at more than 50 sports and entertainment venues across the world — including TD Garden in Boston, Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Lambeau Field in Green Bay and Wembley Stadium in London. The company has been serving MLB fans since 1930 and currently provides hospitality services at 11 MLB ballparks.
About Delaware North
Delaware North is one of the largest privately-held hospitality and food service companies in the world. Founded in 1915, Delaware North has global operations at high-profile places such as sports and entertainment venues, national and state parks, destination resorts and restaurants, airports, and regional casinos. Delaware North has annual revenue of $3 billion in the sports, travel hospitality, restaurants and catering, parks, resorts, gaming, and specialty retail industries. Learn more about Delaware North, a global leader in hospitality and food service, at www.delawarenorth.com.
Contact:
Victoria Hong
Director-Corporate Communications
250 Delaware Ave.
Buffalo, New York 14202
Email: vhong@delawarenorth.com
Phone: 716-858-5420
Fax: 716-858-5125
Source: Delaware North
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