METS AND ARAMARK TEAM UP WITH
DANNY MEYER’S UNION SQUARE HOSPITALITY GROUP
TO CREATE ALL-STAR DINING
EXPERIENCE AT CITI FIELD
Unprecedented Partnership Brings “Best-of-Best”
New York Food
and Hospitality to New Mets Home Opening in 2009
USHG Brings Blue
Smoke and Shake Shack Outposts
Plus
Taquería and Frites to Citi Field
FLUSHING, N.Y., July 9,
2008 – The New York Mets and ARAMARK – a world-class leader in
professional services and the Mets’ food and beverage provider – today announced an unprecedented partnership with Danny Meyer’s
Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) to transport its culinary talent and expertise to Citi Field, the new Mets home opening in 2009.
Through this collaboration with one of the world’s most renowned restaurant groups, Citi Field will set a new industry standard for the
guest dining experience in sports and entertainment venues.
Among the dining choices USHG
will offer at Citi Field are the enormously popular Blue Smoke and Shake Shack, as well as two new food concepts – a taquería and a
Belgian frites stand. In addition, USHG will provide all food and beverage services at Citi Field's Sterling Club, the premium
seating area for 1,600 guests on the Field Level directly behind home plate. Through this collection of innovative dining options, USHG will showcase
its award-winning cuisine with unparalleled hospitality at Mets games, non-game day events, and other functions throughout the year at Citi
Field.
Citi Field's outfield concourse,
accessible to all ticket holders, will feature:
- Blue Smoke: the pioneer of urban ’cue, Blue Smoke will
offer mouthwatering real pit barbecue (Highlights: Pulled Pork Sandwich and Kansas City
Ribs)
- Shake Shack: the enormously popular hamburger and hot dog stand
that made a splash with its original location in Madison Square Park will griddle up game day favorites (Highlights: ShackBurger and Shack-Cago
Dog)
- Taquería (name TBD): this new concept will feature
authentic tacos
- Pop Fries: another new concept for USHG, this frites stand will
serve freshly-cut, Belgian-style fries with a variety of dipping sauces
The
Sterling Club will feature several different dining options, including:
-
Sterling Market: this casual cafe will serve classic, artisanal comfort foods
-
Sterling Beer & Wine Bar: located inside Sterling Market, this venue will offer specialty brews and an extensive selection of wines from around the
world, available by the glass or bottle
-
Sterling Dining Room: reservations required, with limited seating for walk-in guests, will present a small-plates menu ideally suited to game day
dining
-
Sterling Bar & Lounge: offering guests a view of the large outdoor patio and ball field, the bar and lounge will serve specialty cocktails and small
bites
-
Sterling In-Seat Service: waiter service will feature “Best of Ballpark” food from the outfield concourse
- 2 -
“One of our major goals in
the development of Citi Field was to create a destination attraction for our fans and our city. Our partnership with Danny and
ARAMARK sets out to do that and redefine the paradigm of dining at any sports or entertainment venue in the country,” said Jeff Wilpon, COO,
New York Mets. “Danny is a rock star restaurateur and Union Square’s restaurants are uniquely New York and globally
renowned. We now have a culinary All-Star at Citi Field as a major pillar of the total entertainment experience throughout our new
home.”
“As lifetime baseball fans
and longtime Mets season ticket holders, we are incredibly excited to partner with the Mets and ARAMARK at the new Citi Field, and to have the
opportunity to offer fans a fresh array of winning food options,” said Danny Meyer, CEO, Union Square Hospitality Group. “What you
eat and drink – and how it’s all served – has become a major part of the ballpark experience, and we are eager to contribute as
much as we can to why people will love going to Citi Field.”
“Working closely with the
Mets, we have created a unique and extraordinary dining experience that will satisfy fans throughout every level of Citi Field,” said Liza
Cartmell, Group President, ARAMARK Sports and Entertainment. “By partnering with Danny Meyer’s Union Square
Hospitality Group, Citi Field will showcase the very best of New York’s culinary offerings and provide fans with a wide variety of delicious
menu choices and dining formats. We take pride in working with our partners to develop innovative food and beverage solutions and
are thrilled to help the Mets make this revolutionary concept a reality.”
Union Square Hospitality Group,
which has received a record 19 James Beard Foundation Awards, operates the popular and highly acclaimed New York establishments: Union Square Cafe,
Gramercy Tavern, Tabla, Eleven Madison Park, Blue Smoke, Jazz Standard, Shake Shack, The Modern, Cafe 2 and Terrace 5 at the Museum of Modern Art, as
well as Hudson Yards Catering. With the announcement of its partnership with the Mets and ARAMARK, USHG also announces the
formation of a new division, Hudson Yards Sports & Entertainment. This follows the restaurant’s recent expansion plans of a new Shake
Shack on the upper west side and Blue Smoke Chop House in Greenwich, CT.
The Mets and ARAMARK in June
2007 signed a 30-year agreement for food, beverage, and retail merchandise services for Citi Field. ARAMARK – a partner with the Mets
since 1995 – will be the exclusive concessionaire managing all concessions, retail stores, kiosks, luxury suites, and clubs for the
42,000-capacity ballpark. Hospitality and culinary strategist John Sergi and his Charlotte, N.C.-based firm helped the Mets
and ARAMARK develop this landmark partnership with USHG.
The Mets, in conjunction with their
construction partners Hunt-Bovis and HOK, began construction of Citi Field in 2006 in the outfield parking lot between Shea Stadium and 126th
Street.
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For more information
contact:
Jay
Horwitz
V.P., Media Relations, N.Y.
Mets
718-565-4330; jhorw@nymets.com
Theresa Mullen
PR & Marketing Manager,
USHG
646-747-7217; tmullen@ushgnyc.com
David
Freireich
Director, Public Relations, ARAMARK
215-238-4078; freireich-david@aramark.com
