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Retiring Delaware North executive Rick Abramson ends a fun and filling 54-year ride

Rick Abramson’s first taste of the F&B business was as a teenager selling food at Milwaukee Braves games.Delaware North

Rick Abramson saw a lot during his 54-year run at the only company where he ever worked, Delaware North. And while he led plenty of well-thought-out innovations, sometimes success came on the fly.

 

Such was the case in the 1970s at the old Milwaukee County Stadium, when Abramson came up with Delaware North’s “Secret Stadium Sauce,” which was served with hot dogs and brats at Milwaukee Brewers games. 

“The greatest things happen by accident,” Abramson said. “We ran low on ketchup in Milwaukee and made up a sauce that has lots of ingredients, including a little ketchup, mustard and barbecue sauce — and it caught on quick.” 

The sauce became so popular with fans, Delaware North decided to bottle it and sell it in grocery stores throughout Wisconsin. 

When Abramson looks back on his career, it’s no surprise that much of the reflection returns to Milwaukee, where he started working as a teenage food vendor at Milwaukee Braves games. He eventually worked his way up to president of Sportservice, Delaware North’s arena and stadium concessions subsidiary. As head of Sportservice from 2004 to 2013, revenue tripled, highlighted by new concessions contracts at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field, New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, Minneapolis’ Target Field and Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium. 

Abramson’s other positions at Delaware North included president of the company’s parks and resorts division; CEO of the former Australian Venue Services, which had catering contracts with the Melbourne Showgrounds, Sydney Entertainment Center and Royal Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne Cup Race, Australian Grand Prix, and Australian Open; and COO of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. 

His career also saw him hold management roles across Delaware North’s hospitality divisions, and for the past three years, he was the company’s “chief customer officer.”

Now 67, Abramson has announced plans to retire. He will stay on as a part-time consultant and special adviser to the Buffalo, N.Y.-based company.  

He takes with him memories more plentiful than peanuts and popcorn on game day. Beyond Milwaukee’s special sauce, another innovation he relishes is his role in making the food offerings at Delaware North’s ballparks reflective of their communities’ tastes and culinary history. 

“With some pride, I can say I believe I started this trend in Baltimore because we all know they have crab cakes, but it also has a lot of other great food too,” Abramson said. “So we started that with the food editor of The Baltimore Sun, a bunch of other people from the Orioles and chefs from Delaware North, and we tasted the best foods in Baltimore and went from there.”  

Abramson and a former Chicago Bulls marketing director stand in front of an oversized cup of Orange Crush soda and a hot dog during a 1978 promotion at Chicago Stadium.Delaware North

Seven years ago, Abramson’s life and career were upended when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 tongue cancer. In 2015, he beat the cancer, which remains in remission. Little did Abramson know, but the end of his career would come during another obstacle — a pandemic that has crushed the food and beverage industry. He expects the industry will fully recover and noted that in venues where Delaware North is operating with limited fans, business is good.

A trend that Abramson’s been watching, and one that he thinks more teams should adopt, is a bundle of baseline concession offerings included with the price of a ticket to a game. 

“For every fan, everybody, every family, let’s give them a true baseball, football, basketball or hockey experience, a certain amount of foodservice, where they don’t have to reach in their pocket during the game for cash. Let’s embed soft drinks, food and merchandise in the ticket,” Abramson said. “This can all be worked out between the concession companies and the teams and I think it would be great for the future of sports.”

Abramson splits time between Tampa and New York City, where he and his wife Sylvia have an apartment. What does he plan to do during his retirement? “I don’t have too many hobbies besides jogging and trying out ballpark foods,” he said. “I’ll certainly miss it.” 

He looks forward to spending more time with his family and mentoring younger colleagues in the hospitality and concessions business. “I have a 2-year-old grandson, and he is my pride and joy,” Abramson said.

He looks back fondly on being able to sample so many specialties at sports facilities from coast to coast. When asked to name his favorites, Abramson points to kosher hot dogs in Chicago, bacon-wrapped hotdogs in St. Louis and the hamburgers in San Diego.

But his favorite ballpark go-to remains a brat in Milwaukee. “With Secret Stadium Sauce and sauerkraut,” Abramson said.

Just like he drew it up.

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