ARAMARK launched its first ballpark food truck yesterday at the home of Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies.
The food truck, Wok in the Park, will sell Asian-inspired noodle bowls in the outfield concourse of Coors Field in Denver.
David Freireich, spokesman for ARAMARK, says the truck came about when the Colorado Rockies encouraged the Coors Field ARAMARK team to come up with something innovative.
“Our guys were quick to jump on the food-truck wagon,” Freireich says. “They thought it would be a good opportunity to take something that is popular and trendy on the streets and bring it into the ballpark, which is really what you’ll see in all of our menus and offerings in ballparks across the country.”
Though Wok in the Park is a fully operating truck on four wheels, Freireich says it will remain parked in the outfield concourse for the remainder of the season.
“However, it is licensed to travel throughout Denver, so there is a strong possibility that it could appear at festivals or go up to a curb during lunch hour” after the season is over, he says.
Wok in the Park was fully developed and will be operated by ARAMARK, the food and beverage provider for Coors Field. The company believes it is the first in-venue food truck in Major League Baseball.
Freireich says Wok in the Park was inspired by Coors Field executive chef Craig Luckmann’s experience working at the 2010 Asian Games held in China.
“[The ARAMARK team was] thinking that the Asian theme or the Chinese food theme might be the one area that is missing from the menu,” Freireich says. “It just so happens that the executive chef at Coors Field was over at the Asian Games last year, so the recipes that he developed for the food truck are based upon his experiences over there.”
Freireich says ARAMARK is watching Wok in the Park closely to gauge its success, and is interested in possibly expanding the truck idea to other sports venues it works with.
For now, however, the company is investing in making Wok in the Park another popular food destination for Colorado Rockies fans.
“It’s all about the fan experience, creating something new, keeping the menu fresh, and keeping fans engaged, so we’ll be working with the Rockies to promote it and publicize it,” Freireich says.
By Sam Oches
