Yankees Stadium Brings Dining Delight to Fans

A stand sells a colorful assortment of pears, tangerines, bananas, and other fruits. The farmer's market stand in the new Yankees Stadium gives fans a healthy food option. (Joshua Philipp/The Epoch Times)

NEW YORK—The new-and-improved Yankee Stadium will officially open 12 p.m. Thursday. Apart from the new, state-of-the-art ballpark, the stadium is serving up more dining options than ever before. Among the new additions is an onsite butcher, fresh-cooked meals, and enough concession stands to keep fans busy all season.

A special tour of the new restaurants and food stands was given Wednesday, led by Legends Hospitality President Marty Greenspun, and vice president of Legends Hospitality Mike Phillips.

The stadium now features an open concourse—tearing down the walls between the food stands and the ballpark and letting fans see the field even while waiting in line for a hotdog. More than 1,000 TV monitors are scattered throughout the stadium, including above each concession stand, so that fans won’t miss a moment of the game. No more standing behind a wall wondering how the game’s going, hearing a cheer from the crowd and wondering if you just missed something legendary.

“All of our concourses at the stadium are open so that at anytime, none of our guests will ever miss any of the action on the field,” Phillips said. “We’ve really gone out of our way to satisfy our fans in any element.”

Phillips was one of the leading minds behind the new stadium’s design.

The stadium offers 444 points of sale—one for every 117 fans (the old stadium had one for every 182 people.) Among the options are meals from some of New York’s favorite restaurants, such as BBQ from Brother Jimmy’s, steak sandwiches from Lobel’s New York, and of course, old-fashioned hot dogs from Nathan’s.

There are 25 permanent concession stands occupied by several well-known restaurants, and there are 112 portable locations.

Seventy percent of the concession stands have onsite cooking capabilities, allowing for full, fresh cooked meals. According to Phillips, this gives them the ability to offer everything from burritos to garlic fries, fresh steak, and hamburgers nearly “anywhere” in the stadium.

“We really wanted to maximize the cooking, maximize the menu, rather than just the standard boiled hotdogs throughout the whole stadium. We really wanted to hit on everything we can,” Phillips said.

Of course, hotdogs will still be on the menu, only now they’ve been taken “a step up,” according to Phillips. The stadium hotdogs now come with optional natural casings and are some of the highest quality you'll find at a stadium.

Among the restaurants serving fresh food for Wednesday’s tour was Lobel’s. Two butchers prepared meat fresh on the spot behind a large glass window, and near by a food cart prepared the meat in steak sandwiches.

The restaurant is owned by Stanley Lobel, his two sons, and his nephew. According to Stanley, having the onsite service at the stadium is “taking the art of butchery to a whole new level.”

Prices aren’t too different from the old stadium. The average meal will cost around $10, with hotdogs at $3 and drinks starting at $3. A steak sandwich goes for $15.

The new additions to the stadium are the culmination of fan feedback and fresh concepts. According to Legends Hospitality president Marty Greenspun, they “actually surveyed the fans and they told us what they wanted. Part of it was what the fans liked in the old stadium and what the fans wanted to see in the new stadium.”

Greenspun added that they tried to bring in as many of New York’s popular restaurants as possible and “to have what symbolizes New York.”

Among those “symbols” of New York is Mike’s Deli—a local favorite of Little Italy in the Bronx. They’ve opened a small shop in the stadium’s food court.

David Greco, the owner of Mike’s Deli, said he brings the same food to the stadium that he serves at his local deli. “I don’t want to come here and serve something on a commercial level. I want people to know that everything that leaves my kitchen at Arthur Avenue is here, done the same way.”

Several dishes on the menu are special recipes from his Italian mother and grandmother. According to Greco, they “wear their hearts on their sleeves. They love to sing, they love to cry, and they love to eat. Everything they make has to be a little special.”

Due to limited space, his menu is prepared fresh at the Bronx deli every morning and then brought to the stadium to be served. “Every meatball was rolled in my kitchen,” Greco said.

With all the addition of some Italian flare, Greco commented that the “Yankee Stadium is now complete.”

Other new additions to the stadium include Tommy Bahama’s Bar, Johnny Rockets, Moe’s Southwest Grill, and Otis Spunkmeyer. There’s even a small farmer’s market fans can pick up fresh pears, apples, and other fruit.

The stadium continues their policy to donate leftover edible food to the needy. They’ve also launched some green initiatives, focusing on energy reduction, using biodegradable materials such as cups, and using recyclable products. Their aim is to reduce waste by 40 percent.