Features

Levy, BBC to dish up in Rose Bowl

The Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California has named Best Beverage Catering (BBC) and Levy as its new hospitality partners.

The deal covers the stadium’s general concessions, Brookside Golf Course and Clubhouse, and the Arroyo Seco.

BBC, which provides concessions services for festivals and events such as Coachella, Stagecoach Festival and Arroyo Seco Weekend, will work alongside leading sports and entertainment hospitality company Levy to create a food and beverage experience at the Rose Bowl that will draw on the collective expertise of the two firms.

Darryl Dunn, chief executive and general manager for the Rose Bowl Operating Company, said: “As we look ahead to the future of this iconic stadium and its surrounding campus, it was our goal to create a food and beverage experience on par with the world’s best sports and entertainment venues.

“By partnering with BBC and Levy, every guest, whether at a football game or one of the many incredible events and concerts we host each year, will enjoy a best-in-class hospitality experience.”

The Rose Bowl partnered with Food Service Matters, a food service consulting company, back in 2013, when it made the decision to elevate its hospitality offering. “We worked side by side with the committee to evaluate current Rose Bowl operations, but most importantly, identify the opportunity of its future, including what the right hospitality partner needed to bring to the table,” Mike Plutino, chief executive and founder of Food Service Matters, said.

BBC and Levy will begin their partnership with the Rose Bowl by renovating the Brookside Clubhouse, including the dining room, bar and patio. The two companies will also create outdoor experiences and pop-ups for golf course and campus users, while working together on upgrades to the Rose Bowl’s concessions environments.

“There’s not a sports fan in America who doesn’t have memories of waking up on New Year’s Day to watch the Rose Bowl, and the stadium’s rich legacy deserves an equally ambitious approach to hospitality,” Andy Lansing, president and chief executive of Levy, said.

“As the Rose Bowl Stadium prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary and looks beyond, we’re honoured to join in creating an approach celebrating the incredible flavours and culinary leadership of Pasadena, and the dedication to innovation that has always been a hallmark of America’s Stadium.”

BBC president and owner Dirk Alton added: “The Rose Bowl has an incredible reputation across the world as an athletics showcase, but it’s also known as one of the greatest venues to gather for events and concerts alike. By bringing the energy and innovation of the food and beverage activations that are happening at festivals, like Coachella, to the entire Rose Bowl campus we’ll elevate this great venue into a must-have hospitality experience.”

Opening in 1922, the 90,000-seat Rose Bowl Stadium is one of the most iconic venues in the US. It hosts the Rose Bowl Game, an annual American college football fixture, and has staged a number of major music gigs in the past.

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