St. Louis CITY SC and the club’s Flavor Officer, James Beard Award-winning chef Gerard Craft, today welcomed another twenty food partners to the club’s in-stadium food program, CITY Flavor. After introducing Balkan Treat Box, BEAST Craft BBQ Co., Steve’s Hot Dogs and Niche Food Group last month, the additional STLMade food partners represent an incredible variety of St. Louis’ authentic tastes and original flavors from neighborhoods across the region. With a vast array of St. Louis hospitality institutions, up-and-coming restaurants and next-generation technology, the CITY Flavor program offers one of the most comprehensive food experiences in all of sports.
Fans will have an opportunity to experience these new partners at the first full-stadium preview event at CITYPARK, an international friendly between the CITY2 team and Bundesliga powerhouse, Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, November 16.
CITYPARK’s food and beverage offerings include 52 individual areas for fans to access items, the most in Major League Soccer. The additional local food partners that span across eateries markets and suppliers include: Dewey’s Pizza, The Block, Mayo Ketchup, DD Mau, Pie Guy, Padrinos Mexican Restaurant, Nudo House, Anthonino’s Taverna, Wally’s, Malinche, Farm Truk, Ices Plain & Fancy, The Fattened Caf, Bold Spoon Creamery, Chez Ali, Kaldi’s Coffee, Crown Candy Kitchen, G&W Sausage and Meats and The G.O.A.T. Brand. Additional food and beverage partners will be announced closer to the start of CITY SC’s inaugural 2023 Major League Soccer season next spring.
“There was an overwhelming sense of regional pride when we announced our initial CITY Flavor partners last month, which showcases how much our community cares about our local restaurants,” says Carolyn Kindle, St. Louis CITY SC President and Chief Executive Officer. “Now, with additional restaurant partners revealed, fans get a true sense of how every match will feel like a food festival with St. Louis’ diverse culinary scene represented.”
The food experience at CITYPARK is underpinned by next generation of in-stadium convenience, with state-of-the-art “connected stadium” technologies and modern design features including: dedicated mobile-order ahead via the CITY mobile app, frictionless walkout markets, self-service kiosks and mobile wallet/pay technologies to decrease transaction times and increase overall fan convenience.
"We solicited feedback from our fans over the past two years and they emphasized their desire for speed, personalization and variety," says Matt Sebek, Chief Experience Officer. "This stadium is a digital and physical showcase of next-gen technology that has been selected with purpose. This match will be an immersive introduction for our fans, but also a tremendous opportunity for our team to learn and evolve for our season next spring."
From Filipino and Vietnamese to Senegalese and Puerto Rican, the food partners represent the variety of cuisines and cultures that make up the fabric of our region’s culinary community. From pizza and tacos to ice cream and award-winning toasted raviolis, there will be something for everyone at a CITYPARK match.
Chef Craft explains more, “We traveled around the region to taste the food and meet the people behind these restaurants, and we want to encourage fans to do the same. From family-owned restaurants to food trucks, the CITY Flavor program showcases how restaurants of all kinds can thrive in St. Louis. Fans will get a real sense of the high caliber of food from our diverse St. Louis restaurant community during the matchday experience.”
Fans can learn more about the CITY Flavor program on the CITY SC YouTube page here. Through a four-part content series, hosted by Chef Craft, fans can view the thought and care that went into the program that celebrates St. Louis’ culinary scene and learn more about the unique and inspiring stories of the people behind the stadium’s food.
In addition to food, the overall experience at CITYPARK is designed to reinforce regional pride and reflect the best of St. Louis, from the music and innovation to the energy and passion of St. Louis’ incredible sports fans, which will be on full display at every event in the stadium.
