Centerplate Moves Acclaimed Chef to Serve New KFC Yum! Center

STAMFORD, Conn., July 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Centerplate, the leading hospitality provider to North America's premier sports stadiums and convention centers, is pleased to announce Chef Sean Kavanaugh, Executive Chef of Sports and Entertainment for the company, will be the new Executive Chef at the KFC Yum! Center; Louisville, Kentucky's new state-of-the-art arena set to open in October of 2010.

With more than 25 years of experience in hospitality and food service, Chef Kavanaugh has a passion for delivering superior service and creating memorable food. He has continually applied his culinary expertise and strategic business sense in ways that have earned him industry acclaim and significant business results. Under his leadership, the Restaurant at the Ritz Carlton Phoenix earned the ranking of Ninth Best Restaurant in the United States by Conde Nast Traveler magazine. His proven ability to up sell food and beverages to existing and new customers led to outstanding short term sales increases in high-profile convention center accounts. Chef Kavanaugh was honored by the Association of Luxury Suite Directors for the most innovative suite menu in sports, was the winner at the 2008 Scottsdale Culinary Festival for his innovative menu and service design, and earned a finalist position in the 2009 Event Solutions Spotlight Award. He has headlined as chef of some of the most prominent gatherings in sports and entertainment including the 2010 Winter Olympics, Super Bowl XLII, Pro Bowl, 2001 World Series, NBA Championships, NBA All Stars, MLB All Stars, and the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit feeding 50 of the world's leaders.

"We are excited to welcome Chef Kavanaugh, one of the strongest culinarians in sports to the KFC Yum! Center," states Harold Workman, President and CEO of the Kentucky State Fair Board. "With his experience in opening professional football, baseball and sports arenas around the country, we are confident that he has the  right combination of culinary talent and operational skills to ensure we have a hospitality guest experience to match the premier nature of our facility."

"I am very excited to move to Louisville," says Kavanaugh. "I'm inspired by the cutting edge facility as well as the culinary bounty and southern hospitality of Kentucky and look forward to reflecting all of this in our plans for the food service program."

The KFC Yum! Center will be a multi-purpose arena that will serve as the home to the University of Louisville Men's and Women's Basketball programs. Additionally, it is designed to accommodate a wide variety of other events with seating for over 20,000 fans.

About Centerplate

Centerplate crafts and delivers "Craveable Experiences. Raveable Results." in 250 prominent sports, entertainment and convention venues across North America. Centerplate has provided services to 11 Super Bowls, 19 World Series, key events for the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, Art Basel Miami Beach, 15 official U.S. Presidential Inaugural Balls and the largest plated dinner in history at the Alpha Kappa Alpha Centennial Celebration.  Visit the company online at www.centerplate.com.

SOURCE Centerplate