The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority on Friday announced that Aramark "will be the concessionaire" at the Vikings' new stadium, according to John Vomhof Jr. of the Minneapolis-St. Paul BUSINESS JOURNAL. Aramark, which beat out competing finalists Delaware North and Levy Restaurants, "has entered negotiations" with the MSFA on a final agreement. Aramark already "oversees the premium dinning services at the Metrodome and all of the concessions at TCF Bank Stadium." The Philadelphia-based company "will oversee all food and beverage operations at the new stadium -- both general concessions and premium dining" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 7/19). This is Aramark’s 11th NFL account tied to food and merchandise operations, and it has regained NFL market share in the past year after winning food deals for the Browns, Buccaneers and Bears. Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney said that Aramark is one of three finalists to run concessions, premium dining and merchandise at Wrigley Field. He said that Legends and Cubs incumbent food/retail provider Levy Restaurants are the other two finalists (Don Muret, Staff Writer). In Minneapolis, Janet Moore noted Aramark is "no stranger to Minnesota" (Minneapolis STAR-TRIBUNE, 7/20).
METRODOME AIMING TO OFFLOAD ASSETS: In Minneapolis, Richard Meryhew reported Metrodome operators, who are six months away from seeing the stadium demolished, are "scrambling to come up with a plan to sell off its once-prized-but-no-longer-needed assets." MSFA officials on Friday said that the sale of much of the surplus property "probably will spread over a few months, starting this fall." Baseball and basketball equipment will "be the first to go, since the stadium is no longer used for either sport." Anything needed for football "won’t be dismantled or sold until after the Vikings complete their 2013 season" (Minneapolis STAR-TRIBUNE, 7/20).
