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Restaurants hitting home runs in baseball stadiums

Peanuts and Crackerjacks have always been staples at baseball stadiums around the country, but restaurants are trying to add other cuisines to baseball fans’ traditions.

June 8, 2015 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Peanuts and Crackerjacks have always been staples at baseball stadiums around the country, but a few restaurants are trying to add other cuisines to fans' traditions.

Chronic Tacos, for example, is in its fourth year as a vendor at the Los Angeles Angels Baseball stadium, where fans now associate tacos with their baseball experiences, said Mike Mohammed, CEO of Chronic Tacos. He said that although there are only 80 games in Angel stadium each year, the brand has experienced consistent sales and will continue it partnership.

"We have been ranked by fans as the top vendor in the stadium," he said. "Since we've been involved with the stadium there has been growth for the brand as a whole. We are anticipating opening 10 new locations in 2015 and spreading into Washington, Arizona, Colorado and the East Coast."

To help the brand resonate even more with fans, Chronic Tacos gets involved beyond food, sponsoring promotions each year, including, "Angels Hat Night," where fans receive a co-branded Chronic Tacos Beach Hat on June 23 against the Houston Astros. Chronic Tacos will also sponsor the first pitch that night in support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

"Strengthening our brand presence with partnerships like ours with the Angels is integral in reaching our customer with the chance to embrace an opportunity to be a part of something greater than us," Mohammed said. "The Angels have a rich history not only on the field, but within the fans that fill the seats. We are so fortunate to be able to share such a dedicated and enthusiastic group and look forward to a continued partnership for years to come."

Those partnerships are a two-way street, however, said Dennis Kuhl, chairman of Angels Baseball.

"As we explore concessions partnerships for Angel Stadium, we look for a partnership that will be mutually beneficial for our fans and for the partner," he said. "Whether our fans are experiencing the partner's food for the first time or they are a regular customer, we want our fans to be excited to see the partner here and most importantly enjoy the food. Our partnership with Chronic Tacos is a great example of a relationship that has accomplished this."

Going beyond MLB

Major League stadiums aren't the only baseball option for restaurants in which to partner. The Philly Pretzel Factory has found success by partnering with the Camden Riversharks, an American professional baseball team in Camden, New Jersey.

"We think it's a good fit for the Philly Pretzel Factory brand," said CEO Dan Dizio, who is in his second season with the Riversharks. "We are a quick, inexpensive, value-based, filling snack that's perfect to enjoy while taking in a game. We wanted to start out with a local stadium and team like the Riversharks and see how it works before moving forward into any other stadiums or arenas."

Since the stadium experience is similar Pretzel Factory's other locations, it's been a great way to market the brand to a new audience, Dizio said.

"We have a lot of people who experience Philly Pretzel Factory at the game, and become regular customers at our traditional locations afterward," said Dizio, who is now looking into partnering with  other stadiums and arenas.

"The product fits perfectly with the sports experience," he said.

Deciding if baseball is right for the brand

Chronic Tacos didn't partner with the Angels on a whim; a lot of thought went into the decision. In fact, the brand had been approached by other large venues to become vendors but Mohammed declined.

"With the Angels organization, we finally felt that we had found the right fit for our brand," he said. "The stadium location in Anaheim is in our backyard and a lot of Angels fans are already familiar with Chronic Tacos brand. That connection is invaluable to bringing those fans back to the restaurants and introducing our experience to new fans. When fans attend a game, they see us as a unique experience within that venue that can also be enjoyed outside of the venue, so it's important to make the connection there."

Chronic Tacos may eventually partner with other venues but only if it makes sense for the brand, Mohammed said.

"Our company has a very positive relationship with Angel stadium, and the goal is to find other organizations that continue our growth. With our focus on quality and authenticity for the customer we have to continue to be very strategic about where we expand," he said.

Before moving into a venue, Mohammed said it's important to consider whether there is already capacity of restaurants near the venue that will help drive more traffic to those locations. As it expands into new regions and opens multiple locations, it may make more sense to have a presence in a minor league stadium or a concert venue, etc.

"It's been great to see our customer base expand in part because of the exposure that we get in the stadium," Mohammed said. "Some people who think that Chronic is just a local taco shop, go to an Angels game and see our brand and realize that this is a successful franchise brand. "

Protecting the brand

Form a marketing standpoint, it may be tempting to accept any conditions a stadium puts on brands in order to strike a deal. That's a mistake, said Mohammed. His first concern was not sacrificing the culture and customer experience that he's built around the brand by putting it into a stadium.

"Our vendor location is a reflection of the energy and quality that customers can expect at every Chronic Tacos restaurant," he said. "The menu has largely stayed the same but we cater to the tastes of baseball fans. The fresh nachos, tostada bowls and tacos are our most popular choices on the menu. Additionally, we personally train the employees provided by the stadium's food and beverage company on best practices and our brand. Overall, we've been given the support from the Angels organization to make our presence there a success."

Philly Pretzel Factory has a similar strategy.

The experience is similar, but in the stadium, the entertainment while you enjoy your Philly Pretzel Factory is right there in front of you while you're in your seat," Dizio said. "The time in line is the same, you'll get your pretzel quick and served hot right out of the oven in the stadium the same way you would in the restaurant." 

About Cherryh Cansler

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Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Networld Media Group and publisher of FastCasual.com. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

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