Aramark’s food and drink revenue was up 40% for the Final Four at NRG Stadium compared with the '11 event at the same venue in Houston, according to Aramark Sports & Entertainment President Carl Mittleman. Aramark, the stadium’s concessionaire, would not disclose per caps for this year’s event, but Mittleman said the increase was due in large part to its suite and catering operations, which included a boost from 3,000 Villanova fans attending pregame parties at NRG Center, a convention facility next door to the stadium, plus strong events tied to Primesport, an NCAA ticket package partner. Aramark chefs developed a Final Four Signature Sandwich Program featuring foods native to the four schools and sold over 1,000 sandwiches. The top seller was the UNC-inspired Carolina pulled pork sandwich, and it outsold Villanova’s cheesesteak, Syracuse’s sausage and salt potato sandwich and Oklahoma’s chicken fried steak sandwich by a 3 to 1 margin. Retail merchandise increased by 50% over '11, driven by an attractive match-up between Villanova and North Carolina in the title game, he said.
