ARAMARK Has the Winning Lineup for 2012 MLB All-Star Game Events

KANSAS CITY, Mo., June 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to creating the perfect game plan to execute catering, food and beverage and retail services during the 2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, ARAMARK has the winning lineup.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110907/PH63208LOGO )

As the exclusive food and beverage partner at Kauffman Stadium and the Kansas City Convention Center, ARAMARK will cater dozens of events over the course of All-Star weekend, ranging from pre- and post-game parties to serving 40,000 hungry fans during the game itself.

"We're honored to be a part of Major League Baseball's showcase and to serve fans visiting Kansas City," said Marc Bruno, President, ARAMARK Sports and Entertainment. "The All-Star game provides such an exciting experience for fans and players, and we're looking forward to being a part of it."

Led by ARAMARK Regional Executive Chef, Andrew Atwell, the culinary teams at Kauffman Stadium and the Kansas City Convention Center have been conceptualizing and creating All-Star menus since January.

"All of our menus will feature authentic Kansas City barbecue, like hickory smoked brisket or short ribs braised with a local craft beer, and unique takes on classics, like bacon topped hot dogs, or smoked lobster and shrimp tacos," said Chef Atwell. "We set out to create a menu that will leave a lasting memory with our guests, to make their experience in Kansas City even better."

Baseball at Kauffman Stadium

ARAMARK will have a team of 1,100 employees on hand each day at Kauffman Stadium to serve more than 100,000 fans over the course of the weekend in general concessions, club and suite dining, and the stadium's restaurants. The stadium's Executive Chef, Erin Wishon, estimates her team will serve more than 40,000 hot dogs, 7,200 soft pretzels, 2,400 pounds of brisket and 1,800 pounds of pulled pork during All-Star Weekend.

After filling up on authentic Kansas City barbecue, All-Star fans can shop in the numerous retail stores inside the ballpark, managed by ARAMARK. There they can purchase exclusive and official All-Star merchandise such as jerseys, tees, caps and mini bats. A Majestic tent in the center field concourse will feature specialty player name and number tee shirts, while a "Pin Trading Center" will be set up outside the Majestic Team Store, allowing fans to trade pins from past All-Star Games.

Pre- and Post-Game Celebrations at Kauffman Stadium

For the third consecutive year, ARAMARK will cater MLB's All-Star Gala Celebration and the All-Star Pre-Game Celebration. ARAMARK's executive chef at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Gretchen Beaumarchais, and Chef Atwell will lead the culinary undertaking of creating a world-class menu for invited guests attending the events at Kauffman Stadium on July 9 and 10, respectively. Twenty-four stations will provide hot and cold tapas, eclectic skewers, hot iron branded meats and tantalizing sweets at the Gala, while 32 points of service will tempt guests with Jack Stack BBQ, locally sourced farmer's market items, comfort foods, flatbread pizzas and sweets at the pre-game celebration event.

FanFest at the Kansas City Convention Center

As the Convention Center's food and beverage partner, ARAMARK will manage general concessions, exhibitor catering and retail offerings during FanFest, July 6-10. With the assistance of nearly 150 staff, ARAMARK Executive Chef Jamie Wilson has created a menu of MLB specialties from around the league, including an "Around the Bases" menu, featuring fan favorites from New York, Anaheim, Colorado and Kansas City.

• Classic New York Pastrami Sandwich: Hot pastrami, hand carved and piled high on rye bread with deli mustard and served with a kosher pickle.
• "Cali Dog": Hot dog wrapped in a tortilla, deep fried and topped with chili and cheese.
• S'more Nacho: Fresh tortilla chips fried, coated in graham cracker crumbs and cinnamon, topped with warm marshmallow fluff, drizzled in chocolate sauce and finished with M&M minis and mini marshmallows.
• Kansas City Rib Eye Stack: Char-grilled rib eye, cheddar cheese, apple wood bacon, sauteed mushrooms, crispy onion ring, lettuce, tomato and onion, Kansas City smokey and gold barbecue sauce, served on a fresh potato bun.

Kansas City favorites, like Papa Lew's Kansas City Soul Food and Sheridan's Ice Cream and Shakes, will also be available at the Convention Center during FanFest.

For the 14th consecutive year, ARAMARK will operate the FanFest Clubhouse Store on Major League Baseball's behalf. This year, the 11,000-square-foot retail store, inside the convention center, will offer a large selection of official All-Star apparel and souvenir items from Nike, Victoria's Secret Pink, Under Armour, New Era, Allen Edmund Shoes and more.

Additional information about ARAMARK's involvement during the 2012 All-Star Game is available at www.ballparkfoods.com.

ARAMARK partners with 13 Major League Baseball teams to provide food and beverage, retail and/or facilities services -- Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, New York Mets, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays.

About ARAMARK Sports and Entertainment
ARAMARK Sports and Entertainment creates remarkable experiences for guests at over 150 premier sports facilities, convention centers and entertainment venues throughout North America.  With industry-leading insight, ARAMARK designs innovative hospitality, dining and catering, retail merchandise, and facility service programs that deliver valuable business results.  Learn more at www.aramarkentertainment.com or follow us at www.twitter.com/ARAMARKsports.

About ARAMARK
ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. The company is recognized as one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" by the Ethisphere Institute, one of the "World's Most Admired Companies," by FORTUNE magazine and one of America's Largest Private Companies by both FORTUNE and Forbes magazines. ARAMARK seeks to responsibly address issues that matter to its clients, customers, employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community involvement. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 250,000 employees serving clients in 22 countries. Learn more at www.twitter.com/aramarknews.

Contact:
David Freireich
215-238-4078
[email protected]

Erin Noss
215-409-7403
[email protected]

SOURCE ARAMARK