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Fans Find All the Tastes of St. Louis at the Ballpark this Opening Day

Delaware North Companies Sportservice Announces Innovative New St. Louis-Style Concessions,Fan Favorite Souvenirs Under $12, New NIKE/Haddad Children’s Kiosk and Customized Jersey Station


ST. LOUIS (April 5, 2010) – In just a few short weeks, Cardinals fans will take in a deep breath of spring air and sigh, “Ah, baseball season is BACK!” To get ready for the big day, the St. Louis Cardinals’ concessionaire and retail partner for more than 50 years, Delaware North Companies Sportservice, is preparing an innovative concessions lineup of favorite

St. Louis foods, as well as exclusive merchandise and apparel based on fan demand.

“We’re refreshing the concessions menus more than any other menus at the stadium this year,” said Sportservice Executive Chef Jeramie Mitchell. “We’ve had a lot of fun working with local vendors and showcasing the foods that make St. Louis famous. And, everything has been designed with an eye toward fast, fresh food at an affordable price. They’re some of my personal local favorites, and we can’t wait for fans to give them a try.”

Innovative New Menu Offerings: Fans come from all over to see the Cards play, and now they’ll get the full St. Louis experience as they try hometown favorites from the new “Taste of the Town” menu.

New items include Mama Toscano’s Toasted Ravioli, a St. Louis original since 1910. These bite-sized pillows of pasta are created through a four-day process, in which beef, cheese and vegetables are hand-rolled into the ravioli to enhance tenderness and freshness. Mama Toscano’s ravioli are tossed with garlic olive oil and served throw-back style in a brown paper bag, along with parmesan and marinara, and are available at Dizzy’s Diner locations (within sections 139, 161 and 446) and section 271.

Putting a new twist on the traditional ballpark hot dog in 2010, Sportservice is also unveiling the first-ever “St Louis BBQ Bacon Dog,” a bacon-wrapped jalapeño dog served with baked beans, pickles, tobacco onions and local favorite, sweet St. Louis-style barbecue sauce.

“While taking a fresh look at the menu, we wanted to create a signature hot dog that showcased the tastes of St. Louis,” said Chef Mitchell. “Fans can now stack their dogs with all of the trimmings of a St. Louis-style barbecue. It’s no longer just a hot dog – it’s become a mission.

Sportservice is testing the St Louis BBQ Bacon Dog in the Redbird Club’s Sandwich Showdown, which pits a hometown offering against a sandwich inspired by the opposing team. If popular, the St Louis BBQ Bacon Dog may be expanded throughout the ballpark.

For those with a sweet tooth, look no further than the brand new Waffle Supreme Station, offered at Gate 1 near Coke Island and in the Redbird Club. No longer just a breakfast item, these decadent desserts are handcrafted by chefs daily using Liège-style dough, which makes the pastries sweet, cake-like and portable. Chef Mitchell hand-selected a variety of toppings that fans can use to create their own works of art, including hot fudge, caramel, chocolate hazelnut Nutella, fresh berries, vanilla mousse, and regular, powdered or cinnamon sugar.

St. Louis fans love their nachos (Busch Stadium’s No. 1 selling item) and Sportservice is adding to last year’s nacho buffet debut with Cherokee Street Tacos, also at Gate 1. Fans can build their own creations on fresh-made tortillas with pulled-pork carnitas or simply vegetables. Gate 1 will also feature the new Super Burrito. A full array of toppings is available, including sour cream, fresh pico de gallo and a variety of mild or hot peppers. Section 148 will also carry Cherokee Street Tacos, with pulled-pork, smoked chicken and beef.

Back by popular demand, Sportservice is again offering meal deals to help fans stretch their dollars. At the Family Pavilion (section 507), fans can purchase a kids’ meal for just $8.75 with a hot dog, chips, cookie and juice or milk. Also, at Dizzy’s Diner locations (within sections 139, 161 and 446), fans can purchase a Cardinals hat for just $5 with any hot food purchase.

For fans looking for an all-inclusive experience, The Legends Club (or Cardinals Party Suites), includes outdoor seating, as well as air-conditioned indoor reserved seating in a living-room-style social area. The all-you-can-eat buffet begins 30 minutes prior to game time and includes Hunter Hot Dogs, BBQ beef (smoked in-house daily), boneless chicken breasts, nachos, baked beans and brownies. Beverage service is available through the 8th inning. All-inclusive areas at Busch Stadium include: The Legends Club, the Champions Club, the Bank of America Club, the Coca-Cola Scoreboard Patio, the Coca-Cola Rooftop Deck, the Coca-Cola Bridge, the Leftfield Landing and Homer’s Landing.

Exclusive Retail For All Fans: Food isn’t the only thing that’s new at Busch Stadium this year. In 2010, fans will find more souvenir items under $12, along with more space, merchandise and apparel than ever before.

“We’ve listened to the fans and collaborated closely with our vendors in the off-season to give fans exactly what they asked for,” said Loren Pawlitz, Sportservice Retail Manager. “The under-$12 souvenirs were a huge hit last year, and we’ve got dozens more this year, along with a Pujols lunch bag that we know will be a hit. And, due to fan demand, we sold out of the garden accents last year, so this year, we’ve stocked everything Cards fans need to take their patio to the next level, making them the envy of their block.”

The Official Cardinals Team Store: Otherwise known as 6,000 square feet of Cardinals Heaven, the Official Cardinals Team Store will stock 2010’s predicted hot seller, the Albert Pujols lunch bag, for under $12, as well as under $12 lapel pins, mini-bats, koozies, beads, magnets, baseball cards, jewelry, posters, postcards, shot glasses, static clings, foam fingers, foam claws, key chains, lanyards, pennants, player plaques, sunglasses and Cardinals socks.

Green thumbs will also find a new and expanded selection of home and garden accents, including copper clocks, thermometers, birdhouses and feeders, wind chimes and exclusive Cardinals Adirondack chairs. Other new novelties include Cardinals-inspired Fossil watches, bobble heads, World Series patches (now offering all 10 years together), USB drives and laptop sleeves. In May, fans will also have access to more TOUCH by Alyssa Milano apparel, the women’s fashion line that gives female fans a chic option for sporting their team’s logo. Just in time for Father’s Day, Sportservice will also offer ProToast Toasters, boxing puppets and classic games with a Cardinals twist, such as UNO, Rubik’s Cube, Scrabble and Connect Four.

Beyond the Official Cardinals Team Store, Sportservice has transformed two other areas within the stadium. The new NIKE/Haddad children’s kiosk on the concourse near Ford Plaza features a variety of kids’ wear spanning infant, toddler, juvenile and youth sizes. From creepers, rompers and dresses; to short-sleeve and long-sleeve tees and jerseys; to hooded sweatshirts and wind suits, little leaguers will now have a broad selection of Cardinals gear that extends beyond the traditional bird-and-bat kids’ wear.

For tried-and-true fans looking to sport their favorite player’s jersey, Sportservice has added a dynamic customized jersey-making experience. Located in a separate kiosk near Fans’ Nest at Home Plate, a touch screen will offer fans the opportunity to create their own jerseys featuring the comprehensive Cardinals Team. For the fashionista, the area offers a variety of colors, logos, numbers and players to choose from to personalize the back of their jersey. Due to close collaboration with Majestic, the Official Cardinals Team Store will also carry the most extensive selection of jerseys and color combinations in St. Louis, including: black; red, white and blue; white and green; as well as an expanded apparel selection of big and tall sizes.