The addition of NFL on Location to planning hospitality at Super Bowl LI Feb. 5 at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas, is just one of the many aspects that make it an entirely different experience than Super Bowl XXXVIII at that same venue. Mark Cornish, Aramark senior executive chef at that stadium, was there for both.
“There are always lessons learned,” Cornish said. “We’ve learned that everyone has expectations of seeing local stuff, but they also want to see things that come from their regions and their football worlds.”
To meet the challenge, Aramark will bring in chefs from other venues around the country to join NRG Park’s three executive chefs, and double its normal staff, according to Cornish.
The Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau estimates 140,000 out-of-towners will descend on the city for the game, with 1 million expected to attend some component of the Super Bowl experience, whether that’s the game itself or downtown Houston’s free, 10-day Super Bowl Live! event. The bureau also expects the Super Bowl will have a net economic impact of $350 million on the city.
At the Super Bowl itself, in addition to traditional concessions and premium dining, fans can purchase a number of experience packages. These include access to various parties throughout Houston’s NRG Park venues and access to the field after the trophy is awarded.
NRG Stadium’s regular concessionaire, Aramark, joins NFL On Location on the hospitality front, aiming to bring big, exciting experiences, food and beverage to the event that the stadium hosts for the second time this February.
NFL ON LOCATION
In the spring of 2015, the NFL spun off its hospitality business, NFL On Location, to a group of private equity investors in an effort to expand the league’s offering of special event packages and fan experiences. Owned by Bruin Sports Capita, RedBird Capital Partners, 32 Equity (the entity that oversees the NFL’s private equity effort) and Jon Bon Jovi, NFL On Location presents four official packages for Super Bowl LI, starting at $5,949.
“We’re really excited to be involved this year,” said On Location Executive Vice President of Events Don Renzulli. “Houston has come a long way from where it was when it hosted Super Bowl 38. … I think people are going to see a totally different Houston.”
The top-tier, or Diamond, package offers seating in the Sideline Club, plus access to a three-hour, VIP pregame party inside the stadium, and access to the field approximately 10 minutes after the trophy is presented. James Beard Award-winning chef and Houston local Chris Shepherd will develop the menu and prepare food for these package holders. Renzulli estimates that this pregame party will have about 1,000 attendees.
Other parties designed for other packages include an 8,000-person party in the NRG Center, which will also host parties for Fox, Anheuser-Busch, the host committee and Direct TV. “Those ‘parties within the party’ will be elevated off the floor,” Renzulli said.
Package holders will also have access to the Texans House presented by Courtyard, which will be open Thursday through Saturday. The venue will host Texas-themed programming including mixology demonstrations, cigar rollers, DJs and live music. Some of the packages also offer the add-on option of access to Club Nomadic, which can hold up to 9,500 people per night. The club will be open Feb. 2-4 and feature live talent including Bruno Mars.
“On Location is different than where it’s been in the past—it’s obviously a lot bigger,” Rensulli said. He estimated that On Location’s investment in the Super Bowl events will reach up to $10 million. “I think, at the end of the day, we will be able to deliver something very special to those people who will be there with us at game day.”
With these parties, plus additional soirees during the game, Renzulli projects On Location will serve about 14,000 guests on game day alone. “We have the ability to do another 4,000,” he added, referring to the possibility of adding more events once the teams are decided. “We’ve been talking to all of the potential teams on a daily basis. … Each team treats this game differently, [but] nobody wants to get jimxed.”
ARAMARK
Another organization anxiously awaiting the final two teams is Aramark; the food service provider will integrate with On Location operations to offer food at many of the events and clubs in addition to concessions.
While Aramark emphasizes local Texas tastes in its Super Bowl menu, it’s yet to finalize offerings. “We want people to leave with the feeling that they saw and tasted Texas foods,” Cornish said. Fans can expect items like a short rib grilled cheese sandwich, lots of barbecue and a seafood gumbo. One of Aramark’s partners, Goode Co. BBQ, will have a smoker on-site in addition to Aramark’s in-house smokers. “Once we get down to four teams or so, we can start to conceptualize items around those—whoever wins, we’ll pick up their items and go from there. That’s the game plan.”
Another boon to culinary operations, NRG Stadium underwent significant renovations over the past year that affected nearly every aspect of service delivery, according to Joel Nash, district manager for Aramark overseeing NRG Park. This included an overhaul of the stadium’s suites, adding induction cooking units into each one.
“That was a big factor in improving food service delivery,” Nash said. “We are able to better hold and manage the quality of our food in our suites world.”
Fourteen concession stands were also renovated; Aramark brought in 16 new portable concepts at the beginning of the NFL season. Technology in the building also got a boost. Aramark installed more than 500 new digital menu boards, upgraded software in points of sale and brought in tablets for ordering in the club level.
“The biggest goal was to improve service delivery and the fan experience that ties into that service,” Nash said. “[The renovations] allowed us to bring in a new celebrity chef partner with Ronnie Killen, probably one of the best-known names in Houston from a barbecue standpoint.”
The improvements have also helped from a revenue perspective, Nash added. While he declined to reveal projected numbers for the Super Bowl, he added, “I think it’s safe to say it could very easily be three times what we do on a normal NFL Sunday.”