A week ago, Forbes published an article extolling the virtues of Energizer Park’s food scene, noting in the headline that it’s 100 percent local. That approach was intended to elevate the experience, curate a world-class food program, and encourage fans to try restaurants beyond their neighborhoods, CITY SC CEO Carolyn Kindle noted in the article. “That was the vision.”
CITY SC’s no-cost entry and revenue-sharing model lets small restaurants rotate in and thrive, with many changing their game-day rituals, arriving 90 minutes early just to take advantage of the myriad offerings. “I have friends who honestly go to matches just to eat,” Kindle says.
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As a result, other sports teams have been reaching out weekly to see how the model works.
Loryn Nalic, owner and chef of Balkan Treat Box, notes that she creates only two items in the stadium: a dinner kabob offered with three different proteins (beef, chicken, or a vegetarian option) and a loaded fry with Balkan flavors.
“As visiting fans come in and ask our locals what to eat, that beef kabob is the item everyone points to,” says CITY SC chief experience officer Matt Sebek. “Food this delicious should not be in a stadium. That has become our signature.”
Sebek works alongside James Beard Award–winning chef Gerard Craft as the stadium’s chief flavor officer; Craft has been instrumental in selecting the restaurant vendors and rotating a handful of new restaurants in each year to keep the options fresh.
“It really is a taste of St. Louis,” Nalic adds. “If you have season tickets, every game is a new culinary experience, if that is what you choose.”
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