Two touchdowns for vegan options
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

From VeggieHappy
August 2013

When a venue does well with a new item, it creates understandable interest from concession management staff at other large sporting venues.

We’re proud to have helped open the door to vegan frankfurters and specialty vegan burgers at the Seattle Seahawks’ CenturyLink Field this season. They will be sold from a veggie cart on the east side of the main concourse (exact location still TBD as of this posting, check their listing in our NFL Vegetarian Guide for any updates.) San Francisco 49ers‘ Candlestick Park also confirmed vegan franks and specialty burgers on their menu this year.

Johanna was been a great resource for the sports hospitality industry and for myself in regards to menu consulting. She has promoted and measured stadium menus all around the country while connecting vendors with service providers. Her services are very valuable for not only to the guests who are looking up the menus but for the operators as well.
– Matthew Krauss, Assistant General Manager and Operations Director, Delaware North Sportservice at CenturyLink Field

When a venue does well with a new item, it creates understandable interest from concession management staff at other large sporting venues. CenturyLink Field joins its neighbor Safeco Field (home to MLB’s Seattle Mariners) in offering Field Roast franks and specialty burgers to their fans. Safeco Field saw a dramatic rise in category sales after switching to Field Roast products several years ago and other venues quickly took heed. With our help, San Francisco Giants‘ AT&T Park and Cleveland Indians‘ Progressive Field also added these items and noted better sales after making the switch. San Francisco 49ers’ Candlestick Park followed their lead by offering these items soon thereafter.

Johanna has done a tremendous job of helping to implement vegetarian menu selections into sporting venues. She is very enthusiastic and will assist you doing research and product selection when necessary. She has encouraged, and assisted me in adding healthy menu items at my venue which we have continued to increase every season.
 – Sandie Filipiak, Director of Concessions at Centerplate, AT&T Park

Interest in plant-based options goes well beyond the vegetarian or vegan population. Just this week Mintel, a reputable and award winning market research company, posted a study titled: “More than one-third of Americans consume meat alternatives, but only a fraction are actually vegetarians.” Veggie Happy always emphasizes the importance of choosing vegan foods that appeal to flexitarian eaters for this very reason. We only encourage foods and brands that are popular across a wide spectrum of consumers. (Translation? Sales!)

Here’s an excerpt from the study:

In new research released today from Mintel, only 7% of consumers identify themselves as vegetarian, however 36% indicate the use of meat alternatives.

“This data suggests that participation in the alternative meat category stretches far beyond necessity, and creates an opportunity for future growth based on the products’ ability to meet general consumer food interests, such as health, price, variety and convenience,” says Beth Bloom, food and drink analyst at Mintel. “The bottom line is that vegetarians and vegans aren’t the only people eating “fake” meat, meat eaters are also exploring this new found protein superpower.”

Concessions at Safeco Field, AT&T Park and Candlestick Park are managed by Centerplate. CenturyLink Field’s new concession management company this year is Delaware North Sportservice, which runs the concessions at Progressive Field as well.

Fan/customer feedback is an important part of the recipe for change at any and all venues. Be sure to check our Venue Vegetarian Guide for all MLB and NFL listings and to contact your favorite and local venues to provide menu suggestions and/or to offer your thanks!

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