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October 3, 2023
GREEN BAY – Just like NFL players and coaches come and go to different teams, the same can be said for concession items.
In the case of the Green Bay Packers and Delaware North Sportservice – the hospitality and food service provider for the team and Lambeau Field – that comes in the form of 11 new “rookies” now in concession stands throughout the stadium.
The rookies saw their first “game action” during the Packers’ first two home games – Sept. 24 against the New Orleans Saints and Sept. 28 against the Detroit Lions – and will continue to see “playing time” for the remainder of the 2023 season.
The new items will mostly be available in the 100 and 300 sections.
Delaware North Executive Chef Zac Ladubec, originally from Waupaca, said he’s “very excited about the new items.”
“I think people will like them,” he said. “Personally, it’s exciting for me as well. I often tell people, ‘There are 32 of these jobs (in the NFL), and I think I have the best one.”
Aaron Popkey, director of public affairs for the Packers, said the organization is also excited about the new options.
“It’s always fun to see what Delaware North comes up with,” he said. “As Zac said, there is a lot of work that goes into it – it’s something we take great pride in. Food and beverages are a big part of the game-day experience. There are many pieces to the puzzle when it comes to the game-day experience.”
Zac Ladubec, Delaware North executive chef, said the Mozzarella Stick Grilled Cheese is the “far out” option available this season. Submitted Photo
The new concessions items include:
Mozzarella Stick Grilled Cheese – Battered mozzarella stick combined with marinara, pepperoni and shredded mozzarella on sourdough bread. Locations: Sections 138 (outer side of the concourse), 100 (outer) and 308.Special Teams Brat – A Johnsonville brat topped with Coca-Cola-caramelized onions, sauerkraut, bacon and BBQ aioli, all served on a pretzel bun. Locations: Sections 135 (portable), 347 (portable), Johnsonville Tailgate Village (JTV) and Miller Lite Haus 486.Tailgater Specialty Pizza – Brew Pub Lotzza Motzza pizza topped with bacon, brats, caramelized onions and mustard cheese sauce. Locations: Sections 107 (outer), 123, 305, 312, 331 and 427.Burnt Ends – Caramelized andouille Johnsonville sausage paired with BBQ sauce. Locations: Sections 105 and 331, along with JTV.Garlic Knots – Breadstick dough knotted with garlic and parmesan, served with a cup of warm marinara sauce. Location: Section 305.Huddle Up HOT Chicken Sandwich – A brioche bun filled with garlic aioli, bread and butter pickles, Mike’s Hot Honey and Huddle Up spice, accompanied by salt-and-pepper chips. Locations: Sections 134, 340 and 472, along with 1919 Express.Pastrami Sub (Veteran or Rookie) – Pastrami topped with Swiss cheese, beer mustard, and sauerkraut, all served on a sub bun. Location: Section 131 (outer).Chopped Italian Sub (Veteran or Rookie) – A blend of ham, salami, pepperoni, provolone, creamy Italian dressing, banana peppers, shredded lettuce, tomato and red onion. Location: Section 131 (outer).Hot Honey Chicken Tenders – Tyson chicken tenders drizzled with Mike’s Hot Honey. Locations: Sections 138 (outer), 134 (outer), 106 (outer), 100 (outer), 300, 354, 319, 340, 326, 308, 440 (outer), 642 (outer) and 742 (outer), along with 1919 Express.Northwoods Fish Fry – Battered pollock served with French fries, tartar sauce and lemon. Locations: Section 100 (outer) and 407 Grab & Go.Fall Salad – A combination of romaine lettuce, pecans, dried cranberries, red onion, feta cheese, butternut squash and poppy seed dressing. Locations: Sections 138 (outer), 100 (outer), 331, 312, 686 Cenex Kitchen and 690 Bellin Fresh Grill.
Why the additions?
Recent renovations made to Lambeau Field, Ladubec said, included work on the 300-level concourse.
“It was a rather large renovation,” he said. “We went from belly-up stands to walk-in, grab-and-go marketplaces. We tried to mirror the food to all the new stands. We went to more destination stands and destination items instead of having the same thing at every stand. We’ve received feedback from the fans about what they wanted.”
Ladubec said one of his favorite items is the Tailgater Specialty Pizza.
“We have a new pizza sponsor this year with Bernatello’s and Lotzza Motzza,” he said. “We worked together with their team to develop a pizza that will only be sold at Lambeau Field. It has brats, bacon, caramelized onions and a mustard cheese sauce on it. I think the pizza will take off, and people will like it.”
Ladubec said Delaware North always tries to come up with one “far out” new item, and the Mozzarella Stick Grilled Cheese fits the bill this year.
“It’s delicious,” he said. “I think that one will go over well, too. You only get so many opportunities to come to a game at Lambeau – everybody can get a brat or a beer, so we try to have fun with it.”
The most “interesting” item on the menu, Ladubec said, might be the Fall Salad option.
“Yeah, you don’t often think about having salads on the menu at a football game,” he laughed. “We have two salads we’ll be rotating through seasonally out of the marketplaces. We have a lot more ability to use coolers with the grab-and-go. We worked with Bellin and their team to come up with something that can hit everybody.”
Ladubec said the reason for the salad option is simple.
“We heard from people who wanted a fresher option,” he said.
The convenience of grab-and-go
Ladubec said the thought process behind the grab-and-go stands was to get people back to their seats as soon as possible.
“You don’t want to miss the game,” he said. “You can grab what you want, shorten the lines up and make it a faster experience. I believe there are 10 or 11 grab-and-go stands on the 300 level.”
Zac Ladubec
Eric Sampson, Delaware North’s general manager at Lambeau Field, said the success the grab-and-gos have had, has them continuing to look for ways to incorporate them and “drive that programming in the building.”
“With regards to how far we’ll go with the grab-and-go,” he said. “That’s still to be determined. As long as fans appreciate it and they keep being successful, we’ll continue to expand that option.”
Impact on nonprofits
It’s been a long-standing tradition for local nonprofits to volunteer work hours at Lambeau Field in exchange for proceeds, Popkey said.
And it’s one, he said, that will continue to be an important piece of the puzzle with stadium concessions.
“We know the importance of our nonprofits and the benefits they provide – there is still room for them,” he said. “The overall aspect of running the stands is still there. Even in the grab-and-go areas, we still need personnel there to stock the items and make sure things go smoothly. It’s probably made them work less, thus they need fewer volunteers. Also, we still have plenty of the traditional concession stands.”
Popkey said if an area of the stadium doesn’t need as many nonprofit groups, they can be reassigned to a different location.
“For the most part, we still have a great group of nonprofits working,” he said. “This was a question that came up even a couple of years ago when we started looking into the grab-and-go options. And, it’s not just concessions – we still need groups to handle the (portable rental) seating, cleanup, etc.”
Sampson said there are 158 nonprofits total, but about 90 of those work each game.
“There are groups that have been here for 30-plus years,” he said. “They work the same stands every game – people know them, and they have a great relationship with the fans in those sections. Some groups only work a game or two to figure out if it’s a good fit.”
