The American professional soccer club FC Cincinnati have joined hands with Levy, the market leader in sports and entertainment hospitality, to create Lion’s Share Hospitality consisting of a new team of chefs, restaurant and hospitality professionals, and beverage experts crafting every aspect of food, beverage and hospitality at their under-construction West End Stadium in Ohio, US.
FC Cincinnati is an American professional soccer club based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The club plays in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS).
Major League Soccer is a men’s professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation which represents the sport’s highest level in the United States and Canada. The league comprises 26 teams – 23 in the US and three in Canada – and will expand to 30 teams by the 2023 season.
Jeff Berding, President, FC Cincinnati, US, is a Member of Coliseum Strategic Committee.
West End Stadium is a future soccer-specific stadium that is under construction in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is all set to be completed in 2021. It will be the home of MLS team FC Cincinnati that is temporarily playing at Nippert Stadium.
Lion’s Share Hospitality will roll out the red carpet for fans and lay out a spread for them. Fans in all areas of the venue – and outside the venue prior to matches getting started – can have their fill of sumptuous food. Fans can dig into smoked meats, signature sausages, decadent fried chicken, and fresh-made to-go salads and wraps around the concourse.
Maintained Jeff Smith, FC Cincinnati Senior Vice-President, “Our fan’s game day experience is our top priority. We know that quality food and beverage options are some of the most important game day experiences for anyone who attends a sporting event. We have not been able to offer that until now. We are creating a food and beverage experience our fans can really look forward to when West End Stadium opens in Spring 2021.”
Nigel Chalkey, Director of Operations, Lion’s Share Hospitality, remarked, “Cincinnati’s culinary community and collection of world-class restaurants and chefs has blossomed over the past several years, and we want all fans to experience the best of that community when attending a match. Not only will fans be able to taste the best of the City, they’ll experience truly modern and welcoming hospitality, whether a fast and fresh walk-up market, favorite restaurant, or perfectly poured craft beer.”
Gastronomes’ delight
- Fourteen food and beverage destinations, three distinctly branded bars and two grab and go markets to maximize speed of service. Speed is especially important in a MLS stadium because the clock does not stop during a match except for the 15 minutes half time;
- Concourse dining destinations will span a variety of flavors, with several concepts created by Lion’s Share Hospitality just for the stadium and FC Cincinnati fans. Examples include:
- Queen City Eats: Specialty loaded hot dogs and stadium favorites;
- Rhine Roost: Signature fried chicken tenders and sandwiches;
- The Smokehaus: In-house smoked BBQ concept;
- Grab n Go Market: Fresh-made salads, wraps and refreshments;
- Game Day Specials for families;
- Twenty-five mobile food and beverage stations along the North, East and South sides of the concourse; and
- The West End Stadium dining experience will extend onto the open-air East Plaza on match days, with local partner F&B options, family favorites, domestic, craft, import beer options.
These dining experiences will be accompanied by a roster of favorite eateries and recognizable names from across the Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana culinary community. Lion’s Share Hospitality will offer job opportunities for the City’s culinary talent and culinary training opportunities for West End residents.
Lion’s Share Hospitality is powered by Levy’s operational experience executing high-end signature events like the Kentucky Derby, the US Open Tennis Championships, Grammy Awards, and many other championship and world-class sports and entertainment events across the United States. Levy has also built expertise developing and operating some of the top professional soccer experiences. As of the 2021-22 seasons, Levy’s portfolio will span 11 MLS venue partners including Audi Field in Washington, D.C. and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, among others.
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