With room for 400 patrons, the revamped 2,200-square-foot space doubles the size of its predecessorMETS
The Mets plan to open the First Data Club at Citi Field in time for the club’s March 29 season opener, transforming what formerly was the Delta Sky 360 Club behind home plate. The reworked space, still under construction, will be all-inclusive of food and non-alcoholic beverages, including popular items such as Shake Shack burgers sold elsewhere in the ballpark. The 2,200-square-foot space, with room for 400 patrons, also doubles the size of its predecessor. The project deepens the existing relationship between the Mets and credit card processor First Data, which already has a 10-year sponsorship deal with the club and naming rights to its Spring Training ballpark in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
EAT THE METS: The team and concessionaire Aramark also unveiled new food and beverage offerings for the '18 season, including items from famed N.Y. chicken-and-waffles spot Sweet Chick; Hong Kong-style egg waffles with various toppings and flavors; and a foot-long bratwurst covered in melted raclette cheese. The club is planning to be the first in MLB to embed augmented reality experiences within its bobblehead giveaways this season, including a planned Thor-Noah Syndergaard one in August in collaboration with Marvel, and another one planned for May to tie into the upcoming Disney movie, "Solo: A Star Wars Story."
SNOW DAYS: Citi Field was covered with snow Thursday following the fourth winter storm to hit the N.Y. area this month. But club officials said they are expecting a quick melt over the next few days and that the field will be ready for Opening Day on March 29. Ticket sales are roughly flat compared to this time last year for the club, which saw attendance sag to 2.46 million in '17 from 2.79 million in '16. But the Mets are aiming for a sizable in-season sales spike like the one in '15 during a run to the World Series.
