The Univ. of Alabama has picked Levy Restaurants and its retail arm Rank + Rally to handle concessions and merchandise sales for its sports programs. That includes revamped concessions stands, new portable food carts and grab-n-go markets at football games at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Levy also handles food for SEC programs Missouri and Arkansas. Rank + Rally will handle retail team stores across Alabama sports venues. This is the first SEC retail account for Rank + Rally, according to Levy VP/NCAA Operations Molly Kurth. She said landing a big account like Alabama is coup for the Chicago-based company and its growth in the collegiate arena. “We are also proud of the tremendous growth in this market, from five collegiate accounts to 15 accounts in the last five years,” Kurth said. The Alabama account was previously held by concessionaire Centerplate. Financial terms of the new deal have not been disclosed. Levy’s Rank + Rally also runs team stores for the Warriors, Golden Knights and Trail Blazers. It also was just hired by AEG to run team shops at Staples Center and StubHub Center in L.A. and Target Center in Minneapolis. Alabama on Thursday announced a major renovation plan for several facilities, including Bryant-Denny Stadium and Coleman Coliseum.
