Real food: Soccer stadium goes upscale with its cuisine
Real Salt Lake announced Monday that Chicago-based Levy Restaurants will provide concessions and hospitality services for the stadium being built near 9400 South and State Street. But the company shies away from the title "concessionaire," preferring to call itself a restaurateur.
"We try to bring restaurant style to the place you'd least expect it," said Levy's chief executive officer Andy Lansing. "While there will always be hot dogs and cold beer, fans also want to be treated to fantastic food."
In addition to the cold beer and hot dogs, concession stands in the new stadium will feature Asian and South American fare as a reflection of soccer's international character, said chef Tom Coohill.
The restaurant being built inside the stadium also will feature a variety of local, organic and sustainable foods, Coohill said, pointing to sandwiches made with local red trout and vegetables grown by Utah farmers.
The Levy company requires that 30 percent of a restaurant's menu be regional, Coohill said, so the stadium restaurant's fare will reflect its Rocky Mountain location.
The food-services announcement is an important step for the stadium, said RSL owner Dave Checketts.
"This is going to be a critical part of your stadium experience," he said. "We're not just building a stadium. This is going to be the best in the whole region."
In the background of the food-tasting celebration Monday afternoon, ongoing construction of the stadium was evident.
The project is on schedule to open in October, despite a hard winter, Checketts said. Workers are wiring the building, as well as painting and installing drywall. Next month, they'll stretch a canvas covering over the dome-shaped skeleton of the stadium.
Parking plans are also falling into place, said project manager Mike Steele. RSL is in discussions with the Jordan School District and the South Towne Exposition Center to allow fans to park at their facilities.
RSL has been required by the Sandy Planning Commission to make accommodations for 5,300 vehicles. The company does not have room on its site for that many parking stalls and has yet to find a workable solution.
E-mail: rpalmer@desnews.com
Recent comments
Stop complaining and enjoy what we have. It sounds like fun to me...
Anonymous | April 4, 2008 at 3:18 p.m.
I just hope the food doesn't cost as much as the ticket to get...
Nazdar | March 28, 2008 at 11:55 p.m.
More sitting on the backside, shoveling junk food down, and cheering...
Get In Shape!!! | March 27, 2008 at 5:51 p.m.
