Sports bar and restaurant blends touches of sports tradition with technology to create comfortable landing spot for travelers
BUFFALO, N.Y. (Jan. 21, 2011) – Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services, one of the world’s leading airport food and retail providers, has opened the new Club Level Grill in Richmond International Airport.
The restaurant features an eclectic blend of sports history and 21st-century technology with an array of flat-screen televisions showing local and national sporting events.
Among its features are menu books that include trivia on local sports teams, bar stools that are modified stadium seats from Baltimore’s Oriole Park at Camden Yards; a common table area to plug in laptops and other electronics; and sports memorabilia, such as mugs representing regional sports teams displayed behind the bar, and signage with local sports flare.
The grill features a robust menu with dozens of breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert options. Highlights include classic ballpark corn dogs dipped in a zesty cornmeal batter, deep fried and served with honey mustard dipping sauce; “shut down chicken wings” served mild, turbo-charged hot, or out-of-control comatose; lighter fare such as vegetable wraps, grilled chicken salads and make-your-own omelets; and decadent delights such as deep-fried Twinkies and Milky Way or Snickers bars topped which whipped cream and flavored sauce. A Richmond-area favorite, the “pick an’ roll” BBQ pulled pork sandwich, has been reintroduced to the airport at Club Level Grill.
The fast, casual eatery is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and is located in Concourse B.
"Delaware North is a global leader in providing hospitality in airports and sporting venues,” said Cain Basset, Delaware North’s general manger at Richmond International Airport. “The new Club Level Grill will provide delicious takes on some of the traditional and creative foods we offer at arenas and stadiums across the world to travelers stopping at Richmond International Airport.”
In the spirit of Delaware North’s award-winning GreenPath® environmental management system, the company worked with architecture firm The Johnson Studio to build the Club Level Grill as “green” as possible, using many locally sourced materials. The design team used paints and adhesives with low volatile organic compounds to minimize air pollutants; sustainably managed and harvested lumber for all the millwork, including the furnishings; and steel produced from recycled material and in addition, it incorporated ceilings composed of sustainably managed sources and recycled content.
During construction, all recyclable waste was separated and stored in special bins, then sent to the appropriate facilities. Care was given to prevent dust and other airborne pollutants from escaping into the airport areas and from being drawn into the new heating and air systems. The grill uses energy-efficient lighting and Energy Star appliances.
The grill includes many natural materials such as a concrete bar top, wood walls and various other stone and tile work – all in an effort to maintain Delaware North Companies’ position as an environmentally friendly corporation. All of these green initiatives have been submitted to The U.S. Green Building Council for review and determination of Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
All oil and grease generated from food preparation will be sent to local company Valley Proteins, Inc. that recycles or reuses 100 percent of collected materials, thereby reducing a major contributor to landfills.
Delaware North Companies is one of the leading hospitality companies in the world, operating in high-profile locations such as Wembley Stadium in London, New Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Yosemite National Park and more than 30 airports such as Los Angeles International Airport. In all, the company operates in more than 200 resorts, travel, sports and entertainment destinations in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.