Sportservice named concessionaire of Winter Classic

Ralph Wilson Stadium will host an NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008.

Delaware North Companies Sportservice has been selected by the NHL to handle both food service and retail for the AMP Energy/NHL Winter Classic on New Year's Day at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

On Dec. 27, Sportservice will open a retail outlet outside the stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills, to offer a wide selection of official Winter Classic merchandise, including jerseys, T-shirts, sweatshirts, hooded sweatshirts, hats, gloves, scarves and novelty collectibles.

The retail outlet will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 27 through New Year's Eve and will be located near the One Bills Drive stadium entrance just off of Abbott Road in Orchard Park.

Some Winter Classic merchandise will also be available at the stadium at the Bills Store on Dec. 24 and Dec. 26 through game day.

For game day on Jan. 1, Sportservice will operate 36 retail outlets at the stadium, double the 18 retail outlets that the Bills operate.

Eight of those outlets will be located at gates and in lots outside the stadium. Lots will open at 8 a.m.; gates at 11 a.m. The retail outlets will be open before, during and after the game to accommodate fans wanting to purchase additional merchandise.

Delaware North Companies Sportservice is also busy preparing to feed the more than 73,000 fans who are expected to attend the Winter Classic.

"There is no doubt this will be the most food ever eaten at a hockey game," Sportservice President Rick Abramson said.

"Using the outstanding facilities at Ralph Wilson Stadium, we will be offering a tremendous selection of foods and beverages for the concessions, clubs and suites. This will be a spectacular feast."

Sportservice is preparing for fans to devour an estimated 12,000 slices of pizza, 10,000 hot dogs, 6,000 pretzels, 5,000 hamburgers, 5,000 cups of soup, 3,000 bags of peanuts, 2,500 pounds of nachos, 1,900 beef on kimmelweck sandwiches, 1,400 pounds of chicken wings, 1,300 pounds of chicken tenders, and 800 pounds of popcorn.

They'll wash that down with an estimated 31,000 cups of coffee and hot chocolate, 12,000 bottles of soda pop, and 5,400 bottles of water.

A subsidiary of global hospitality provider Delaware North Companies, Sportservice provides food service, retail or both at 20 major professional sports venues and more than 20 other sports venues across North America. In addition, Delaware North provides food service and retail at the new Wembley and Emirates stadiums in London and several venues in Australia.

In Buffalo, where Delaware North pioneered the sports concession business in 1915, Sportservice is the exclusive food and beverage provider for both the Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium and the Sabres at HSBC Arena.

Sportservice's preparation for the Jan. 1 Winter Classic has been underway for months, including recruiting experienced people to work as concession stand attendants, retail cashiers, food and program vendors, bartenders, porters and servers, said Beth Backus, Sportservice's general manager at the stadium.

As with Bills games, there are opportunities for groups of volunteers to raise money for their non-profit organizations by manning concession and retail stands, she said.

"The folks who work Bills and Sabres home games are not obligated to work this game, although we are looking forward to many of them returning to do so," Backus said.

Pregame Tailgate

When stadium lots open at 8 a.m. on Jan. 1 for the 1 p.m. game, Sportservice will cater a tented pregame tailgate party that will be created outside the scoreboard end of the stadium.

Sportservice will serve the Pepsi AMP Energy drink, coffee, hot chocolate, soda, water, beer, hot soup, hot dogs and hamburgers. Sportservice is also partnering with Famous Dave's Barbeque, a national restaurant chain with a location in Cheektowaga near Buffalo, to provide BBQ specialties.

Stadium Concessions

In a first at Ralph Wilson Stadium, hot chocolate will be available to fans in their seats to purchase from roaming vendors. Fifty vendors, twice as many as usually work a Bills game, will serve fans in the stands at the Winter Classic.

In addition to regular concession items such as pizza and hot dogs, a hot soup - in this case, loaded baked potato soup - will be offered for the first time.

Backus noted that just as with late-season Bills games, soda pop will only be available in bottles because tap lines could freeze.

"We know it could be a very cold day, so hot chocolate and soup were a priority in our planning," said Backus.

"An event in winter weather presents a number of unique challenges."