Game-Changing Culinary Offerings Hit the Stands for Football Season
Football season is in full swing, and in-person college and professional stadium attendance numbers are rising, following months of reduced capacity levels. According to the Sodexo Live! and Harris Interactive Survey, 79% of US audiences feel comfortable attending a sporting event again, and 74% use sports events as an opportunity to socialise. Fans are back with local pride and ready to soak up all that the gameday atmosphere has to offer, whether in NFL or college football settings from coast to coast.
Our culinary expertise adds a distinct home-field advantage for the fans we serve. And the Sodexo Live! culinarians have transformed these offerings into full-fledged gastronomic experiences. From elevated gameday staples to vegan and allergen-free options, to upscale dining experiences in VIP suites, our team of award-winning chefs are setting new standards in professional sports hospitality as we safely welcome back throngs of passionate fan bases.
Customizing menus with a local flair
In addition to traditional stadium fare, the Sodexo Live! teams are creating locally authentic and team-inspired menu items. There is an emphasis on sourcing from local suppliers whenever possible, as well as partnering with popular local restaurants, chefs and food trucks.
Ranking regularly at the top of gameday experiences for football fans, the new menu items at the Caesars Superdome boast flavorful, authentic southern and Creole dishes, earning accolades from fans and visitors. Additions such as Flat Top Grilled Crab Cakes, as well as shrimp, beef or chicken tacos and our unique All American Taco Fries are just some of the new creative menu items at the home of the New Orleans Saints. But while our culinary team was ready to start the season with these new offerings, Hurricane Ida made landfall. After being ready to serve 70,000 fans on game day, we were quick to pivot and repurpose all those food items and supplies to serve the community, the volunteers and the first responders who needed it most, including the National Guard. Four weeks later, the Sodexo Live! team welcomed the fans back to the stadium for the first home game, resulting in record-breaking food and beverage sales—all while supporting the local economy by working with iconic brands such as Faubourg Brewing and Zatarain’s.
At Lucas Oil Stadium, the new offerings reflect Indianapolis’ growing food culture and embrace true Hoosier Hospitality. From creative spins on Indianapolis staples like the new buffalo chicken tot-chos or the pork belly corn fritters to weekly items in the premiums from the biggest names in Indianapolis restaurants like Harry & Izzy’s and St. Elmo’s Steak House, the culinary experience will delight the home crowd and visitors alike and reaffirm what is regularly regarded as one of the best stadium experiences in the entire NFL.
Meanwhile, the new home of UAB Football–Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama–features signature, locally-inspired items, such as The Sloss Dog and Sloss Smokehouse BBQ Nachos, as Sloss Furnaces is a National Historic Landmark in Birmingham. Local food trucks and an all-star lineup of assorted Birmingham beers capture the best flavors the town has to offer, capped off with the stadium’s signature cocktail from Dread River Distilling.
Already considered one of the best fan dining experiences in all of football, the Sodexo Live! 2021-2022 menu offerings at global entertainment destination Hard Rock Stadium capture the diverse tastes of South Florida. A rotation of Miami’s local talent and celebrity chefs features local restaurants like female-owned bakery Pastry is Art, and minority-owned Pollo Tropical and SEEDS.
Big-game flavor for the sport's biggest games
For decades, Sodexo Live! is the trusted partner for some of the best professional and collegiate atmospheres in the country.
This includes hosting 15 Super Bowls, accounting for more than 25% of the league's marquee games—the latest being Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, making history with Dayanny de la Cruz becoming the first female chef hosting the game. We leveraged our network of unique talents, mobilizing 100 chefs from across the country to ensure the success of this event. Chef Dayanny oversaw a team of 2,400 culinary staff in 10 kitchens, catering for 65,000 seats in the stands, in addition to 167 suites, and seven all-inclusive clubs.
Not only does Sodexo Live! delight fans with world-class hospitality, but we do so on an unprecedented scale.
Looking ahead, on January 10, 2022, Sodexo Live! will cater the College Football Playoff Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium, for the third straight year, after doing so in New Orleans in 2020 and Miami in 2021.
Let’s just say, we already know the ingredients for a winning game plan. In fact, a third of the way into football season, we are seeing historic per capita spending coming out of the pandemic, all thanks to our great culinary options and dedicated team members.
Learn more about how Sodexo Live! can foster an exciting fan experience in your venue.