Food & Beverage Renovations
Elevate Fan Experiences
at U.S. Bank Stadium and Empower Field at Mile High

U.S. stadiums generate over $56 billion annually, and over 34% of Americans report having spent money on sporting events, including tickets, transportation, food and beverages. With this level of economic potential, a growing number of stadiums are launching renovations to improve their concession stands and elevate the fan experience. Upgrading a stadium can be the key to enticing more visitors, boosting food and beverage sales, and surviving in an increasingly competitive marketplace. See how U.S. Bank Stadium and Empower Field at Mile High achieved their goals with professional food and beverage concession renovations from Aramark.

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Renovation Methodology

To execute renovations of their food and beverage concession stands, U.S. Bank Stadium and Empower Field at Mile High employed Aramark’s multi-phased renovation approach. Aramark’s operations team leveraged additional support from dedicated Data Sciences and Design teams to test new concepts and innovations and build on proven successes. The methodology followed six key steps:

Step 1:

Identify opportunities

Step 2:

Establish goals

Step 3:

create masterplan

Step 4:

implement and Test

Step 5:

Measure and react

Step 6:

expand successes

U.S. BANK STADIUM SUCCESS STORY

In 2019, the U.S. Bank Stadium was at the top of its game as the host of the Final Four. It gained local praise as a great venue for sporting events and concerts. But the newness wore off quickly and the stadium began to wear down — and along with it, the food and beverage concessions lost their fan appeal. To revitalize the venue, Aramark reimagined and renovated the stadium concessions and made them ready to reopen in 2021.

U.S. Bank Stadium — Renovation Activations

Targeted New Food and Beverage Options

The U.S. Bank Stadium master renovation plan identified the following opportunities to be gained from a strategic redesign of its food and beverage services:

Define and expand core products

Re-concept underperforming stands

Increase revenues from alcohol

Set Key Objectives

The stadium’s leading goal was to evolve its fans’ food and beverage experience. It planned to achieve this goal through these tactics:

Balance the concession space to expand core food and beverage distribution

Support food and beverage concept flexibility based on event type and performance

Expand adult beverage point-of-sale opportunities

U.S. Bank Stadium — Renovation Results

U.S. Bank Stadium’s renovation expanded core products availability, re-concepted underperforming stands and increased revenue from beverage sales.

House Divided

At this concession stand, the addition of digital overhead signage allowed flexibility in food and beverage concepts. The flex concepts could be easily changed for concerts and other adult beverage-heavy event types.

+8% per cap growth overall

1st & Fry Co.

The master renovation balanced out the concessions in the building to increase distribution of core items, such as the introduction of 1st & Fry Co., optimized placement of North Star Grills, and an increased presence of nachos and tacos.

Stands converted to nacho/taco concept

+26% revenue vs. PY

+76% main meal

Tenders & Curds

+13% revenue vs. PY

Minneapolis Cocktail Co.

At this stand, the plan called for an increased POS for adult beverages. A brand identity was crafted around liquor expansion with elevated finishes and digital signage.

+23% sales at NFL events

+117% at concerts

EMPOWER FIELD AT MILE HIGH SUCCESS STORY

Representing the people and the personality of Colorado, Empower Field at Mile High honors the special traditions of the original Mile High Stadium, one of the most storied and beloved stadiums in NFL history. But at nearly 20 years old, the stadium was facing several issues that were impacting its most enthusiastic fans’ experiences. The two biggest complaints were a lack of food and beverage variety and slow service in the concession stands. Among the challenges to improve service times were staffing inconsistencies that plagued the entire industry. To help overcome these problems, the stadium partnered with Aramark in 2019.

Empower Field at Mile High — Renovation Activations

Targeted New Food and Beverage Options

The Empower Field master renovation plan identified the following opportunities to be gained from a strategic redesign of its food and beverage services:

Offer expanded beverage variety

Increase speed of service and throughput

Reduce staffing needs

Set Key Objectives

The stadium’s leading goal was to enhance fans’ experiences. It planned to achieve this goal through these tactics:

Increase count and update building POS

Expand POS to reduce lines

Test new fan-focused service styles

Leverage technology to drive increased throughput

Empower Field at Mile High — Renovation Results

Empower Field at Mile High’s renovation brought in popular brands, leveraged technology to speed up service times and expanded beverage variety.

Tenders, Love and Chicken

The renovation included re-concepting two stands of the popular TLC brand with one large 16-kiosk self-order stand.

#1 food concept in the building

+32% per cap vs. like stands

+19% avg. check at kiosk locations vs. traditional TLC

FAVS@MH

Converted a Fan Favorites to a FAVS@MH grab-n-go express model with focus on popcorn, hot dogs, nachos and packaged beer serviced with Mashgin self-checkout.

24.5% sales increase with 36% decrease in staffing vs. like stands

+84% sales/POS and
66% trans/POS vs. like stands

Drink MKT

The masterplan called for building five self-serve Drink MKT stands that offer over 150 SKUs and Mashgin self-checkout.

Top 5 trans/POS and sales/POS captured in building vs. built-in stands

134% average of all 5 locations is higher than built-in bar average

+115% sales/POS

+203% sales/headcount vs. PY

Bonanno Concepts

In this stand, the stadium created a fully transformational concession to leverage the popularity of a local celebrity, chef Frank Bonanno.

+29% per cap vs. like stands

Are your concessions accelerating customer throughput, delivering the food and beverages guests crave, and boosting sales and the overall fan experience?

Food & Beverage Renovations Elevate Fan Experiences at U.S. Bank Stadium and Empower Field at Mile High

Powered by Insight. Driven by Design.

Renovation Methodology

Identify opportunities

Establish goals

create masterplan

implement and Test

Measure and react

expand successes

U.S. BANK STADIUM SUCCESS STORY

U.S. Bank Stadium — Renovation Activations

Targeted New Food and Beverage Options

Define and expand core products

Re-concept underperforming stands

Increase revenues from alcohol

Set Key Objectives

Balance the concession space to expand core food and beverage distribution

Support food and beverage concept flexibility based on event type and performance

Expand adult beverage point-of-sale opportunities

U.S. Bank Stadium — Renovation Results

House Divided

1st & Fry Co.

Stands converted to nacho/taco concept

Tenders & Curds

Minneapolis Cocktail Co.

EMPOWER FIELD AT MILE HIGH SUCCESS STORY

Empower Field at Mile High — Renovation Activations

Targeted New Food and Beverage Options

Offer expanded beverage variety

Increase speed of service and throughput

Reduce staffing needs

Set Key Objectives

Increase count and update building POS

Expand POS to reduce lines

Test new fan-focused service styles

Leverage technology to drive increased throughput

Empower Field at Mile High — Renovation Results

Tenders, Love and Chicken

FAVS@MH

Drink MKT

Bonanno Concepts

Are your concessions accelerating customer throughput, delivering the food and beverages guests crave, and boosting sales and the overall fan experience?

Food & Beverage Renovations
Elevate Fan Experiences
at U.S. Bank Stadium and Empower Field at Mile High