After years of anticipation and months of perfecting last-minute details, UBS Arena, where Delaware North is the foodservice provider, officially opened its doors last weekend with its first major public events and the home-opening debut for the NHL’s New York Islanders.
The arena, located on Long Island next to the historic Belmont Park race track in Elmont, N.Y., was formally opened Nov. 19 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony officiated by Delaware North’s partners from Oak View Group, the Islanders and state and local political leaders.
Even before the puck dropped for the Islanders’ Nov. 20 home opener against the Calgary Flames, Delaware North’s team, led by General Manager Paul Potter and Assistant General Manager Anthony Kleinman, had an early chance to show off the new, locally focused food and beverage program with a pair of preview events.
Executive Chef Ted Donnelly gave local media outlets a tour of the new culinary creations during a preview event Friday afternoon, while an evening fundraising event and concert attended by several thousand guests served as a test run for the operations team ahead of Saturday’s game.
“I am enormously proud of the way our team hit the ground running and provided an exceptional level of service that impressed everyone from the fans and guests to our partners and clients,” said Bob Thormeier, vice president of operations for Delaware North Sportservice.
“Even when faced with unexpected challenges, everyone went above and beyond to deliver,” Thormeier continued. “It just proves that the level of talent, experience and dedication on our team is truly world-class.”
Nearly 100 managers, chefs and other support staff from throughout Sportservice and Delaware North’s corporate office provided assistance to the onsite team in the months and weeks leading up to the arena’s opening.
“We are at our best when we come together to meet any challenge, and that was on full display at UBS Arena,” said Jamie Obletz, president of Delaware North Sportservice.
“I cannot emphasize enough the appreciation that is due to everyone for their hard work, dedication and sacrifices along the way. This is a momentous occasion for Delaware North thanks to the countless people who stepped up to make this come to fruition.”
The quick pace will continue for the Delaware North team as UBS Arena is slated to host nearly a dozen major events over its first two weeks of being open, including six Islanders games, NCAA basketball, WWE Monday Night Raw, as well Harry Styles and Eric Church concerts.