Menu Items Unveiled for College Basketball’s Big Event at Lucas Oil Stadium
Centerplate, part of Sodexo, announced its catering services for Lucas Oil Stadium during a special championship event. The venue will feature enhanced safety protocols, including 100% cashless transactions, individually packaged food, and strict sanitation measures. This will help ensure safety for fans and staff. The culinary offerings highlight local flavors and specialty dishes aimed at providing a unique experience. Additionally, the company is committed to donating excess food to local charities, reinforcing its community engagement.
- Enhanced cashless transactions improve safety and reduce contact.
- Unique and locally inspired menu items enhance customer experience.
- Commitment to donating food reinforces community support.
- None.
Centerplate’s approach features local flavors, a fully cashless experience and other enhanced safety protocols
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., March 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Centerplate, a Sodexo company and the leading hospitality partner to North America’s premier sports entertainment venues, today announced an array of specialty menu options and enhanced safety protocols for Lucas Oil Stadium.
Centerplate – the exclusive catering partner to Lucas Oil Stadium and a Sodexo company – is known for serving creative and exciting menu items at the world-class venue and hundreds of other leading entertainment destinations around North America. In Indianapolis specifically, it is a program rooted in traditional Heartland dishes and Hoosier hospitality, and is regularly ranked #1 in Stadium Journey’s “Best Stadium Experience” annual list.
This is the third time the Centerplate team has hosted the championship event at Lucas Oil Stadium, including 2010 and 2015. This year’s iteration is one-of-a-kind though, as the team will host 15 games over 8 event days, with hundreds of employees stepping up the occasion.
"The top priority will be the health and safety of fans, players and our staff,” said Steve Pangburn, CEO, Centerplate / Sodexo Sports & Leisure. “Our heightened protocols are in place to help everyone feel confident, safe and comfortable, and our menu items have also been dialed up a notch to meet the moment of one of the most exciting sporting events that our industry has to offer.”
Among the specific changes to the food and beverage program in-venue:
100% cashless points of sale to reduce contact; fans who don’t have credit cards can exchange cash for gift cards to use on gameday- Individually packaged flatware
- Portion-controlled condiments
- Transitioned foodservice to individual packaging and closed containers
- Gloves and masks required for all food-service employees
- Social distance markings to encourage and promote distancing guidelines in common areas
- The Rise with Sodexo program is the company’s systematic approach to embracing this new world and adapting to new safety environment
Experienced Leadership
Centerplate’s team at the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium is led by District Manager Justin Kizima and General Manager Lynda Fonderoli. Fonderoli is hosting this event for the 7th time, the third time at Lucas Oil Stadium, having been with Centerplate for 28+ years, hosting all the milestone occasions and big games that come to town on a regular basis.
Broadly, Sodexo’s global gender balance strategy is a key driver to ensure that both women and men have equal access to growth and opportunities in the workplace and communities. Since 2009, Sodexo’s global gender advisory board has been dedicated to driving gender balance by advancing women at all levels of the organization. To date,
Caring for the Community
Centerplate also is committed to donating excess food at the end of the tournament to local groups like Second Helpings and Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana.
Throughout 2020, for reference, Second Helpings served, on average, 8,000 meals daily and transitioned from community meal to meals packaged for home delivery. During this time, the group received nearly 30,000 pounds of food from Centerplate at Lucas Oil Stadium, which was used to prepare nutritious meals for the community at its Hunger Relief kitchen or was distributed to food pantries and other social service agencies.
Culinary Excellence
Leading the culinary efforts is Chef Shimelis Adem, who has also hosted three college basketball championships at the stadium, as well as the Super Bowl.
The local culinary team, as a way to virtually bring a taste of the arena to fans watching at home, has also compiled digital recipe cards that will be promoted on social channels during the event – featuring signature items that are the ideal complement to any at-home viewing experience.
Affectionately referred to as Chef Shumu, his highlights of the gameday menu include fan-favorite items on the general and club concourses:
- Half-Pound Bracket Burger: all-natural Angus beef double cheeseburger topped with housemade applewood smoked bacon jam, melted cheddar and crispy onions on a fresh baked roll
- Heartland Beer Cheese Steak Sandwich: locally sourced shaved beef sirloin, topped with Sun King Brewing Wee Mac Scottish Ale cheese fondue on a freshly baked hoagie roll
- Indiana Whiskey Sour Pork Wings: locally sourced smoked pork wings glazed with a housemade whiskey and orange marmalade
Vegan and Gluten-Free items for the more health-conscious fans:
- IMPOSSIBLE Loaded Peppers: roasted tri-colored sweet bell peppers with meat substitute, drizzled with a housemade sweet chili glaze
And in the premium hospitality spaces, specialties include:
- Midwestern Madness Pork Chop Sandwich: boneless grilled pork chop marinated in a signature Mango Habanero Madness Sauce, with aged cheddar, grilled kale and caramelized sweet pineapple on a brioche bun
- Hoosier Fried Chicken Sandwich: cast iron skillet fried green tomatoes, sharp cheddar pimento spread on a fresh baked brioche bun
- Horseradish Crusted Beef Tenderloin Croissant: locally sourced Legacy Maker roasted beef tenderloin, oven-dried tomatoes, fines herbs, caramelized onions and brie, with a spicy horseradish sauce
- Chilled Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail: served with Indianapolis’ own St. Elmo’s famous horseradish cocktail sauce and lemon wedges
- The Ultimate Hoagie: Smoking Goose Lomo, Dodge City Salami, Capocollo de Dorman and Salame Cotto with pickled Giardiniera, kalamata and baby greens on sourdough
- Locally Made Handcrafted Desserts:
- chocolate truffles and chocolate dipped caramels locally produced by Best Chocolates in Town, Indy’s beloved chocolate shop providing handmade treats to Hoosiers for over 20 years
- an assortment of basketball and team logo themed sugar cookies, hand painted by local baker Katie Maurer from Cute as a Button in Carmel, Indiana
- local artisan baker Ghyslain Maurais, of Ghyslain Chocolatier, has created a specialty gourmet center court chocolate duo
There will also be a trio of specially souvenir craft cocktails for age-appropriate attendees, showcasing local products from Oliver Winery and 1205 Distillery.
Fans can find out more about the culinary approach, broader foodservice safety protocols and much more at Sodexo USA.
About Centerplate / Sodexo Sports & Leisure
Each year, the combination of Sodexo and Centerplate enhances the level of services provided to more than 116 million guests across premier venues in North America, such as stadiums, arenas, conventions centers, museum, zoos, aquariums and more. Through consumer research, innovation and local personalization, we are positioned to deliver an unrivaled array of services to successfully contribute to offer a memorable experience for the guests in our partner venues.
From hosting VIPs at the Super Bowl to superheroes at Comic Con, the company provides hospitality services to North America's premier events. Click here to learn more.
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