Freemark Abbey Commemorative Superb Bowl 50 wine with lobster-truffle mac and cheese.
The 71,088 fans attending Super Bowl 50 knew how to have a good time, spending an average of $87.57 on food and beverages at San Francisco’s Levi's Stadium, reports Centerplate, the stadium’s concessionaire. Total sales were approximately $6.2 million.
This year’s numbers were less than the 2014 Super Bowl at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, which had the highest per caps at $94.60 per person, according to the National Football League, but that was attributed to the start time and pricing in New York versus San Francisco. Per caps cover general concessions on public concourses as well as premium foodservice in suites and clubs.
“With the 3:30 start time, rather than 6:30 like in the past, fans were at the venue longer and didn’t have much time to eat prior to the game, so most were served two times,” said Sal Ferrulo, Stamford, Conn.-based Centerplate’s executive vice president, who assisted with the logistics of the Super Bowl planning and operations, including the menu. “For this event, we customize menu items and a lot more prep is involved in advance.”
In choosing the menu items, consideration was given to fan preferences, which skew toward traditional sports food, as well as expectations for local fare from the Bay area, such as seafood, sourdough bread and clam chowder.
Top-selling items at this year’s game included 26,000 hot dogs and sausages, 3,000 of which were the Big 5-0 Sausage topped with gold flakes. Other strong sellers included 1,000 crab sandwiches, 1,000 vegan dogs and 500 vegan barbecue jackfruit sandwiches.
Two types of nachos, home-made barbecue pork and brick oven pizzas also were popular.
The best-selling beverages were a domestic 16-ounce bottled beer, which cost $13, and a $7 20-ounce bottled water. Also, more than 8,000 California wines by the glass, some costing $25 each, were consumed. Centerplate sold 60,000 drinks in souvenir Super Bowl 50 cups at $10 each. Identical beverages at a typical 49ers game are priced at $5.25 a piece, according to the NFL.
Food items were priced from $5 up to $25, with hot dogs costing $8 and premium beer at $15.
“We made it quicker and easier for fans by bundling items like chicken tenders, chips and a coke,” said Gary Prell, head of Centerplate’s culinary program, who oversaw the recipe development. “The purchase price may have been $16, but it included three items, rather than one.”
The main difference in creating the foodservice program was catering to the diverse Super Bowl fans, many of whom were new to the facility and from all over the world, versus a typical game that is primarily serving locals.
“We had to focus on serving customers efficiently, so the menu selection was more streamlined compared with the regular season,” said Ferrulo.
The more than 2,000 staff on site during the event included 400 culinary personnel, double the number typically on hand during the season. Minimal point-of-purchase changes were needed at the stadium, which opened in July of 2014.
With about a dozen Super Bowls between them, Ferrulo and Prell drew on their past experiences for inspiration, while putting a unique spin on this year’s offerings.
Menu highlights included the BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich with smoked and braised jackfruit, apple-jalapeno coleslaw and house barbecue sauce on a Hawaiian roll; Grilled Crab Sandwich with Pacific crab and tomatoes on grilled garlic sourdough; Bay Shrimp Roll with Bay shrimp and braised fennel stuffed in a top-cut roll with chive aioli; and the Big 5-0 Sausage, with a custom blend of 50 ingredients, including beef, pork, spices and herbs grilled and served on a poppy seed bun with sautéed bell peppers, ketchup and gold flakes.
“If I could can our operating team’s performance and use it for future Super Bowls, I would do it in a heartbeat,” said Prell. “We had the right amount of staff on hand, ready to work, and the appropriate amount of food in the right locations. Everything lined up perfectly.”
Combining gourmet-quality sports food with high-end wine and local specialty items provided a menu with widespread appeal, said Ferrulo.
“Super Bowl fans want food that makes them feel a part of the sporting event and the experience; we hit that,” said Ferrulo.
Interviewed for this story: Sal Ferrulo, (203) 975-5910; Gary Prell, (203) 975-5910