Release - Amalie Arena Introduces New Menu Items For Guests
TAMPA, FL – AMALIE Arena announced several new food and beverage initiatives to celebrate the start of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s new season. The additions are highlighted by the opening of a Capital Tacos location at section 321, new food offerings at 12 other concession stands and new menu items in all of the arena’s premium seating areas.
“As we get ready to drop the puck on the upcoming Lightning season, we are pleased to present these new menu offerings to our guests, spread throughout AMALIE Arena,” said Chief Executive Officer Steve Griggs. “Presenting a premium guest experience to our fans is one of the pillars of our business and we understand how important it is for those fans to have great food and beverage options at our games and events. These new additions help us better address everyone’s food preferences.”
New Food Menus in Premium Areas and Concession Stands / New Vegetarian Options:
Bringing new flavors and concepts that all fans will enjoy, AMALIE Arena and food service provider, Delaware North, are committing that the food and beverage experience in the arena will be just as world-class as the guest experience. In addition to new or updated menus in the arena’s restaurant, Firestick Grill, Lexus Lounge, Chase Club and other premium areas like the Heritage Insurance Loft and The RSM Loft, Vology Loge and Suites; concession stands will all be featuring new and healthy options. Additionally, guests can enjoy seasonal beverages throughout the year at various locations.
Head Chef Brent Lewis and his culinary team have inspired each other to go above and beyond – food is coming center ice, giving each and every Tampa Bay Lightning fan, concert goer and inner foodie an exceptional experience. Did you know:
• That the shrimp and other seafood used at AMALIE Arena is locally caught along the Florida coastline?
• That AMALIE Arena has a fully functional hydroponic garden on-site with over 3,000 growing spaces which is equivalent to a one acre farm…and it keeps growing (literally). It grows an assortment of vegetables and herbs that are used in arena kitchens. It’s the largest hydroponic garden of its kind in the National Hockey League.
• That our pastry chef conceptualizes and bakes a wide variety of assorted desserts right under the AMALIE Arena roof?
New menu items with premium spaces include:
• Suites:
o Southwest Chicken Eggrolls
o Avocado Palm Heart Salad
o Taco Salad Bowls
o Grilled Pita Pockets
o Fresh Poke Bowls
• Vology Loge:
o Peppercorn Crusted Flank Steak
o Sautéed Breast of Chicken
o Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna
• Lexus Lounge:
o Tomahawk Carved Bone-In Rib Eye
o Long Bone Duroc Pork Lion
o Roasted Carved Breast of Turkey
o Acai Bowl
o Key West Poached Shrimp
o Fresh-Shucked Oysters
o Italian Roast Pork Sandwich
o Rock Shrimp Taco
o Thai Sticky Wings
• Firestick Grill:
o Alaskan King Crab
o Honey Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
o Mini Tacos
o Grilled Lobster Tail
o Grilled Locally Caught Black Grouper
o Roasted Turkey
o Prime Rib of Beef
o Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Bombs
• Chase Club:
o Ybor City Tapas
o Whole Grilled Pita with assorted Hummus
o Southern Chicken and Dumplings
o Loaded Mac n Cheese
o Braised BBQ Short-Rib
o Loaded Nacho
New menu items at concession stands include:
• Section 108 – Rum Fish Grill – Smoked Fish Dip, Tuna Poke, Tuna Poke Nachos and Achiote Marinated Mahi Tacos
• Section 109 and 301 – Ford’s Garage – Impossible Burger
• Section 109 and 325 – Papa John’s Pizza – Mushroom Personal Pizza and Fresh Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie
• Section 117 – Outback Steakhouse – Bloomin’ Burger and Steak Sandwich
• Section 123 – Four Green Fields – Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Section 124 – Holy Hog – BBQ Dog
• Section 205 (Portable) – will have menu items changing throughout the year
• Section 208 – Mise en Place – Gelato Cookie Sandwich, West Coast Chicken Sandwich and Spruced Up Guacamole and Chips
• Section 210 – Bay Club Sliders – Impossible Burger
• Section 214 and 218 – Irish 31 – Blackened Chicken Taco, Macho Nacho Taco, Black & Bleu Burger and Chicken Pot Pie Bites
• Section 303 (On the Budweiser Biergarten) – WingHouse – Korean Boneless Wings and Loaded Tater Tots
• Section 310 – Cheese Steak in Paradise – Garden Fresh Philly Hoagie
AMALIE Arena also welcomes a new partner for 2018-19, Capital Tacos, at Section 321 (right next to The Coors Light Between the Pipes bar). Capital Tacos is a local Tampa experience that started in 2013 and is now a nationally-ranked Tex-Mex chain that is named a Top 3 taco in the USA by Foursquare and a Top 2 Place To Eat in Tampa/St. Petersburg by Yelp!. All five stores across Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco
counties have the Capital Tacos chef-created menu, cool vibe and “from scratch” kitchen.
At the arena, the food will be prepared and made for each guest with the exact same award-winning taste (from-scratch recipes and grilled-to-order production). The menu will include some new twists on a few Capital favorites: The Brisket Bolt (braised brisket, jack & cheddar, avocado, pickled jalapenos, cilantro, and chipotle BBQ sauce), The Hat Trick (fajita chicken, chorizo, and dirty potatoes with sour cream, cilantro, jack & cheddar, and chipotle ranch), Chips & Lightning Salsa (a new souped up salsa just for AMALIE
Arena), and the signature Countdown Cookie with Homemade Whipped Cream.
“We’re extremely pleased to announce this new partnership today,” said Griggs. “Capital Tacos is a fastgrowing local company who is continually ranked as one of the best tacos in the entire United States.
Fans at AMALIE Arena have continually asked for a taco option in our surveys, and we are excited to elevate our offerings with another best-in-brand concession option to meet those desires. Capital Tacos’ mission to serve the community also aligns with the Lightning and we’re very pleased to give money back to great Tampa Bay non-profits through the player taco program.”
Capital Tacos will also be collaborating with a different Lightning player each month of the season to create a special Taco of the Month only available in Capital Tacos stores (outside AMALIE Arena). A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each monthly player taco will be donated by Capital Tacos to the charity of each player's choice. The first Lightning Taco of the Month, Cally's Chicken BLT, has been created by Ryan Callahan on behalf of The Ryan Callahan Foundation. It is available in Capital Tacos locations throughout October. "Our mission every day at Capital Tacos is to deliver truly unique food experiences in our stores and to make a difference in the communities we are a part of," said Josh Luger, Partner at Capital Tacos. "We are therefore honored to partner up with the Lightning, an organization defined by delivering excellence to its fans and impact in its community. The player taco program is all about slinging up great tacos for even
greater causes, and we couldn't be more excited to work with the players to create some special ones this season."
New Self-Ordering Kiosk Stations at several Concession Stands:
AMALIE Arena is also teaming up with Appetize this season, a leading Point of Sale, inventory and analytics company transforming how leading enterprises manage and process guest transactions at scale. Appetize offers self-service stands that can provide a simple interactive touchscreen experience in hightraffic environments. The menu and intuitive user interface helps move clients through the checkout process quickly and seamlessly, minimizing wait times. The kiosk is a convenient method for customers to browse and select items, make modifications to their order and process payment.
Kiosks will be located at the following sections for convenient ordering and quick service:
• Section 109 – Ford’s Garage
• Section 115 – Papa John’s Pizza
• Section 210 – Bay Club Sliders
• Section 321 – Capital Tacos
Don’t Forget to Recycle and AMALIE Arena introduces the Last Straw Program:
The Tampa Bay Lightning organization continues to be dedicated to the sustainability of the environmentof the Tampa Bay Area through the “Green for Our Paradise” program – therefore we ask that you recycle and stand behind us in our new Last Straw Program, where we’ve eliminated the use of plastic straws and stirrers in AMALIE Arena. Our mission is to make the Tampa Bay Area a better place to live, work and play for today’s and future generations. Our organization is committed to doing everything we can to
reduce our environmental footprint and to encourage our fans to do the same in their homes. Together we will make a difference in the environment for today and tomorrow. Please ask any AMALIE Arena staff member where you can recycle your plastic bottles, aluminum cans, etc. More details for all upcoming initiatives are forthcoming and will be shared through AMALIE Arena’s social media platforms, website and more in the coming weeks. In the meantime, be sure to check out some of these new items when you come to a Tampa Bay Lightning game, major concert or event.