at the new home of the Rangers
Delaware North Sportservice, a global leader in sports hospitality, and the Texas Rangers have agreed to a long-term food, beverage and retail contract at the team’s future home, Globe Life Field. When the new ballpark opens, Delaware North will provide a full breadth of services in concessions, suites, catering and premium areas, as well as retail management. The contract extends a partnership that began in 1994, when Globe Life Park in Arlington (then The Ballpark in Arlington) first opened.
“Delaware North has a lot of fun thinking of new and unexpected ways to delight Rangers fans, especially with our food creations that have transformed ballpark dining across the industry,” said Jerry Jacobs Jr., co-CEO of Delaware North. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Ray and his leadership team at the state-of-the-art Globe Life Field, which will set a new precedent in baseball and beyond for live-event entertainment.”
During its tenure as the exclusive food and beverage provider at Globe Life Park, Delaware North has worked with the Rangers to create one of the most distinctive and recognized dining experiences in all of baseball. Innovative concessions concepts such as The Boomstick and Dilly Dog have set a new bar for ballpark fare, while new service styles such as the All You Can Eat Porch have given fans more flexibility in their game-day experience. Delaware North has also been at the forefront of new menu trends with its diverse offerings, including being consistently ranked as one of MLB’s vegan-friendly ballparks by PETA.
As part of its concessions program, Delaware North has also partnered with many local non-profit organizations to work in the ballpark’s concession stands as a fundraising opportunity with a percentage of sales benefiting their fundraising cause. Over a 25-year period, nearly $30 million has been raised and donated to area community groups.
“The Texas Rangers are proud to extend our partnership with Delaware North Sportservice,” said Texas Rangers Co-Chairman and Managing Partner Ray Davis. “This organization has enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Delaware North and the Jacobs family at Globe Life Park. We look forward to working with the team at Sportservice Arlington in providing the same great quality and service to our fans at Globe Life Field beginning next season.”
Globe Life Field, which is being built as a public-private partnership between the City of Arlington and the Rangers, will not only be the Rangers’ new home but also a multipurpose sports and entertainment venue that will include capabilities for hosting high school, college and international sports as well as entertainment tours.
The official groundbreaking for Globe Life Field took place on September 28, 2017 with construction beginning the following week. The new 1.7 million square foot ballpark, which is scheduled to open in Match 2020, will include a retractable roof for climate control and shelter for fans during the hot summer months. Seating capacity is expected to be approximately 40,300 for Globe Life Field.
Delaware North Sportservice operates food, beverage and retail operations at more than 50 sports and entertainment venues across the globe — including TD Garden in Boston, Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Lambeau Field in Green Bay and Wembley Stadium in London. The company has been serving MLB fans since 1930 and currently provides hospitality services at 11 MLB ballparks.