ARLINGTON, TEXAS (Nov. 6, 2023) – For the first time in the franchise’s 52-year history, the Texas Rangers are World Series Champions. Delaware North, the team’s foodservice and retail partner at Globe Life Field, was there to fuel the championship run with elevated fare and postseason merchandise for every round.
Delaware North served fans at Games 1 and 2 of the best-of-seven World Series. The effort for Game 1 at Globe Life Field produced food & beverage and retail per caps totaling close to $100 – $56.46 for F&B and about $40 for retail. Game 2 per caps were slightly lower.
The foundation for Delaware North’s highly successful retail program for the World Series at Globe Life Field was laid just before the 2023 postseason began when the company debuted a new retail store with Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology and Amazon One.
The new store, Easy Out, located near home plate by Section 116, offered an assortment of jerseys, T-shirts and specialty retail items – including merchandise specific to each round of the postseason. Easy Out is the third outlet at Globe Life Field to offer autonomous commerce solutions, but it’s the first in any MLB venue to offer merchandise.
“Fans were literally taking longer to get in the stores than to check out – as low as 10 seconds once they had the merchandise they wanted – so it was like the holy grail for us,” said Rick Matteo, regional director of retail for Delaware North Sportservice, who added that guests with Amazon One credit credentials in place could also use them at the Amazon retail location in addition to food and beverage locations to further speed their exits.
Matteo said that for the playoffs, Delaware North more than doubled the available number of retail points of sale and used handhelds to check out people in any lines before they hit the register.
Merchandise stock strategies also helped push the per cap, Matteo said, with 61% of the items sold in the new Easy Out store being playoff branded.
“We reviewed sales data and history from past World Series at which Delaware North has handled retail and worked with Major League Baseball in planning our buy in terms of types and quantities of apparel and other merchandise,” he said. “The playoff and World Series branded items are what people want, whether it’s a jersey, T-shirt or other item, and we worked with MLB licensees to customize the art to be more specific to Texas and the Rangers.”
The retail effort extended to the evening of the final victory, which took place in the opposition’s venue. Back at Globe Life Field, the Delaware North-operated Grand Slam store and a tent in adjacent Texas Live district reopened with official World Series Champion T-shirts and hats – just moments after the Rangers’ 5-0 victory on Nov. 1 at the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chase Field.
Matteo said several local manufacturers were available to print thousands of pieces of apparel the moment a win occurs. He said Delaware North worked with the MLB licensees across the country who began printing and shipping the day after with next-day shipping.
For each round of the postseason, Casey Rapp, Delaware North’s general manager at Globe Life Field, and his team added new items and innovations to the food and beverage lineup. Mobile ordering was also available throughout the entire ballpark.
Highlights from the 2023 Postseason include:
Self-Serve Popcorn Machine – The area near Section 110 was bolstered with a self-serve popcorn station, a first-of-its-kind in Major League Baseball. Self-serve cotton candy machines were introduced earlier in the season at Section 110 and the Kids Zone. These machines are incredibly easy to use. On the machine’s digital screen, a fan simply chooses what they want, selects a payment option, and the machine gathers the order.
Beef Brisket – A new custom smoker was added to the market near Section 108, featuring Nolan Ryan beef brisket – smoked to perfection and smothered in Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce.
Three Strike Lobster Roll – a 2-foot-long, soft, freshly baked bun, generously filled with lobster in a light sauce and crowned with tenderloin medallions. Accompanying this culinary masterpiece in a package deal were the Boomstick Burger and Boomstick Hot Dog, creating an impressive 6-foot feast designed to feed a small group. A limited number of only 10 per game were available for $250 at Stand 24 at the top of Section 133.
Heim Hammer – Appropriately named after Rangers catcher Jonah Heim, this offering featured a substantial beef shank that was hand-carved to create delectable street tacos. The Heim Hammer was available for $99 at Hurtado’s BBQ near Section 141.
Super Slugger Cheese Sticks – Four super-sized cheese sticks served with choice of marinara or ranch dipping sauce. Available at Sections 105 and 230, along with CL23.
Big Tex Torta – Featuring a red and blue soft Torta bun, prepared by Arlington’s Marquez Bakery, and topped with in-house smoked Nolan Ryan Brisket, a split Texas Chili All-Beef Hot Dog, egg, sliced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, queso fresca cheese, salsa roja and mayo. Available a Sections 105, 132 and 208.
Chicken Parm Dawwg – A juicy chicken tender topped with marinara, mozzarella and pepperoni on a hot dog bun. Available at Sections 133 and 215, along with CL3.
Oaxaca Dawwg – Poblano Oaxaca Sausage topped with fresh pico and warm queso. Available at the Hurtado stand at Section 141.
Sugar Bee Sweets Bakery – The Arlington-based bakery offered an assortment of its custom cookies in general concessions, clubs and suites.
By the Numbers:
Delaware North sold 23,000 gallons of beer and 25,780 feet of hot dogs – or more than twice the length of all the Rangers’ postseason homeruns combined (11,915 feet).
Main image caption: Casey Rapp, general manager for Delaware North at Globe Life Field in Arlington, shows off the Self-Serve Popcorn Machine that Texas Rangers fans enjoyed during World Series games at the ballpark.
About Delaware North
Delaware North is a global leader in the hospitality and entertainment industry. The company annually serves more than a half-billion guests across three continents, including at high-profile sports venues, airports, national and state parks, restaurants, resorts, hotels and casinos. Building on more than a century of enduring partnerships and a commitment to local communities and sustainability, Delaware North’s vision is to delight guests by creating the world’s best experiences today while reimagining tomorrow. Learn more at www.DelawareNorth.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.