Centerplate, the largest hospitality partner to North America's premier sports stadiums, convention centers, and entertainment venues, announced a series of new menu concepts and service enhancements for the Greensboro Grasshoppers 2011 Season at NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro, North Carolina.

"We are proud to partner with the Grasshoppers to serve their fans throughout the season in Greensboro," says Brian Candler, Centerplate's general manager at the park. "We are eager to open our new concepts for these great fans. I know it will add to their enjoyment of Grasshopper baseball."

Centerplate's newest addition is a new concept called "The Dog Pound." Four authentic major league hot dogs from around the country will be offered to fans at this location including:

  • Dodger Dog – Foot long hot dog with relish and mustard
  • Milwaukee Brat – Bratwurst dipped in "Milwaukee's classic secret stadium sauce," with brown mustard and sauerkraut
  • Cincinnati Chili Cheese Coney – Hot dog with Cincinnati-style chili, shredded cheddar cheese, diced onions and spicy brown mustard
  • Chicago Dog – Red Hot Chicago dog, tomato wedges, pickle spear, sport peppers, celery salt, bright green relish, diced onions, mustard and a poppy seed bun 

Fans will also have several other additional new menu items to enjoy this season, designed specifically for Grasshopper fans, such as:

  • Chipstix: A full ribbon cut potato, fried and served on a skewer with choices of seasonings including BBQ, Garlic Butter, and Cheddar Cheese
  • North Carolina Barbeque Company: Centerplate will be smoking barbecue in-park this season and fans can choose between traditional Piedmont and Eastern barbeque sauces, as well as two styles of slaw
  • The Hopperita: specially designed by Centerplate Mixologists, a new signature frozen drink with a blend of green and orange margaritas, served in a souvenir yard glass
  • Walking Taco: seasoned ground beef, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and jalapeno peppers all served inside a bag of Doritos

Centerplate is also bringing back-to-life a piece of Greensboro's history by adding Boar & Castle sauce to condiment stations throughout the park. Boar & Castle was a legendary Greensboro drive-in, which served their famous hamburgers and onion rings to generations of Greensboro families.

In addition to these new menu offerings, Centerplate will increase the number of service locations to provide speedier service and more convenient access to menu offerings.

To complement its culinary introductions, the company has also initiated a series of enhancements to its service training and experience assurance initiatives. Centerplate's training program, which has been completely revamped and re-launched as Centerplate University, is based on a series of training sessions that provides the service team the foundation to succeed. In addition to functional training, the program includes a significant focus on food safety, responsible service of alcohol, and the principles and behaviors of gracious guest service for a better fan experience.

Beverage, Menu Innovations, News