Levy lands F&B contract for KC Current stadium

National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team the Kansas City Current has appointed Levy as the food and beverage partner for its landmark new stadium project, along with revealing new renderings for the venture.

The soccer-specific facility at Berkley Riverfront Park will be the first stadium purpose-built for an NWSL team, seating 11,500 and opening for the 2024 season.

The Current said it will work with Levy to craft a “one-of-a-kind” food and beverage experience, showcasing local vendors at the downtown stadium. Fans can also expect a flexible and unique experience that features many ways to access food and beverage based on their own preferences, including mobile ordering and self-service, among other tech-driven hospitality initiatives.

“We are thrilled to work in conjunction with Levy to create a truly bespoke food and beverage experience for Kansas City Current fans,” said team president Allison Howard.

“It was essential for us to find a partner who excels at innovation while staying genuine to our Kansas City roots. Levy has a strong track record of success working with groundbreaking technology to build an experience worthy of our cutting-edge stadium.”  

Andy Lansing, CEO of Levy, added: “From the moment we heard the idea for a world-class purpose-built stadium for women’s soccer, we wanted to be involved.

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with an incredible organisation in the Kansas City Current to create an experience that is authentic to the Kansas City community and Current fans, and that we hope will inspire many more in the future.”

Meanwhile, the Current’s release of new renderings for the project comes with confirmation that official groundbreaking will take place on October 6. The team issued further renderings of its amended vision for the stadium back in May.

Initial designs for the project were revealed when it was first disclosed in October. Since the project was first announced, the club’s leadership said it has been working to create a state-of-the-art facility with the goal of developing the best player, fan and partner experience in the world.

As part of a 50-year lease agreement with Port KC, the stadium will be built on a 7.08-acre site on the east end of Berkley Riverfront Park in Kansas City, in partnership with primary design and construction partners Generator Studio, JE Dunn and Monarch Build.  

The initial vision called for a 11,000-seat privately-funded stadium priced at $70m (£60.6m/€69.7m) that would open in 2024. However, it was revealed in April that the cost was set to rise to $117m amid plans to enhance the facilities on offer.

The club added seating for a total projected capacity of 11,500, along with in-stadium amenities like a Concourse Club and Scoreboard Bar.