Rendering of the Orlando City Soccer Club Stadium
Spectra has landed the food and beverage contract at the new Orlando City Soccer Club Stadium. The $140-million facility will have 25,000 seats and will be used primarily for the men’s team, Orlando City Soccer Club, Matches; as well as Pride women’s soccer team games. The venue will also feature outside events yet to be determined.
Rob Parker, vice president of corporate partnerships for Orlando City, said he was very much looking forward to working with Spectra to bring exciting new food and beverage options to the fans. “When we started the bidding process we had three specific questions we brought to the table,” said Parker. “First we wanted to find the team that would provide the best food options. Second, we wanted a vendor who understood soccer. Soccer is not like other sports. It has two very long periods, not a lot of time-outs, and then short overtime periods. We wanted a vendor that got this and knew how to plan for it. Third, and maybe most important, we wanted a vendor who would engage the local community and provide jobs for people in the local community. Spectra hit all three.”
“We wanted the food service company to reflect our differences from other stadiums,” Parker continued. “We take a fan perspective toward our work, we are not corporate, it’s all about the fun. We want to be a catalyst for change in the community, which we’ve been all about going back to the launch of the club.
When we unveiled our logo we did it through street art, not a press release. That’s our culture and we needed to find a food vendor that was going to be like-minded.”
The deal is for five years with an option for another five. The bidding process started last summer/early fall and Spectra wrapped it up by the end of the year. “It took some time to work on the contract and that’s why we are just announcing the deal now,” said Thomas Anastasia, regional vice president for Spectra. “Our company is very excited about managing the food services at the new Orlando City Soccer Club Stadium, and I am personally excited. This is an account I personally wanted to get. I spent part of my youth here and I have watched the excitement that has built here since the franchise started playing. The team has been playing at Camping World Stadium and the numbers are unbelievable.”
Anastasia projected food services revenue at the new stadium to be in the $7-million-dollar range. “Right now based on the performance in Camping World Stadium there’s no concern about how the soccer club will perform,” he said.
He promised “a food and beverage package that is unique to them. We’re going to bring local inclusion by bringing in local flair from restaurants and breweries in the area. Craft beer is very hot right now and an integral part of the soccer experience.”
Orlando is not a place that has a specific flavor, it’s a melting pot, Anastasia added. “We definitely noticed the Latin influence, and not just Cuban. We’ve found Puerto Rican and South American food inspirations we will mix in, as well.”
The menus have not yet been finalized but Anastasia has some concrete plans, including a fresh burger concept and pedestrian-style street food featuring things that are very portable as fans walk around the stadium, like tacos and empanadas. “We are going to capture the food truck craze by having creative grilled cheese sandwiches,” he said. “We’re also talking to some corporate sponsors and international players, but we expect that to be limited. We are looking at the local entrepreneurs and not chain restaurants. Instead of giving out a whole restaurant space we are looking at putting them on carts, or on our suite menu and do a licensing agreement.”
The cost of food and beverage is being rolled into the ticket price for the premium ticket holders. ‘There’s a club area on both the east side and the west side,” said Anastasia. “The west side is the indoor club space. Amenities will be an inclusive experience, with food and beverage included with the price of a ticket. The beverage program is one in which you get soft drinks and domestic beers, with the exclusion of craft beers, included. Hard alcohol, premium beer and premium wines will be a cash sale on top of that.”
The east side is an outdoor space with no kitchens. “We want to do the same inclusive program, but with different products like high-end sandwiches, salads and wraps. We’ll have a cart in that space that can do hot items,” he said.
Plans are underway to expand the event offerings beyond sports at the new stadium. “The team wants to keep the venue busy as much a possible. The plans are to bring in outside events and concerts,” said Parker. Management for the new building will remain in-house; Scott Neal has been named general manager.
Interviewed for this story: Rob Parker, (407) 480-4712; Thomas Anastasia, (813) 948-6900