By Garrett Dvorkin | Baltimore Business Journal
Greg Costa knows the nachos aren’t up to par at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Just offering cheese and chips isn’t enough for Baltimore baseball fans. They’re wondering why there aren’t jalapenos and more chips.
“Candidly, we were surprised with the nacho response,” said Costa, who heads Oriole Park’s new concessionaire, Levy Restaurants. “… We’re learning as we go.”
Levy is still in its first inning as the Orioles’ new food vendor, but so far the company seems to have settled in well and is pleased with revenue. After taking over for Delaware North before the 2023 season, the company has introduced a lot of local-inspired food items and a self-checkout system to pay for them. Levy is still figuring out what fans like.
The Baltimore Business Journal took to the stadium food lines at the May 15 Orioles-Angels game to see for ourselves. The fan-on-the-street approach confirmed the disdain for the nachos. (The need for jalapenos was indeed mentioned.) But bigger Boog’s BBQ sandwiches, new B’more Chicken Boxes and even the new self-checkout system seem to be a hit among those we queried.
Bryan Lutz was chowing down on some nachos as he watched the Orioles lose to the Angels from behind home plate. Lutz gave the nachos a “C” and said they are “edible.” That is high praise coming from a lifelong restaurateur. He also noted that this was his second course of the day and that he really enjoyed the hot dog topped with Old Bay and crab dip.
“The nachos aren’t amazing, but they are what I expect when I come to a ballpark,” Lutz said.
Out of the roughly two dozen fans interviewed at the stadium, most offered solid reviews, especially for the chicken.
Costa said one thing he has learned about Baltimore is how much the city loves its chicken. Costa said he was “surprised at the amount of chicken consumption” even though chicken tenders are usually one of the best-selling items at ballparks across the country. Costa said Levy’s new B’more Chicken Box has been by far the best-selling of the new specialty items.
John Murray, a Glen Burnie resident, said for him, the chicken box lived up to the hype.
“My buddies have come to a lot of games this year and they recommended the chicken box,” Murray said. “They said it had good flavor, and I like the seasoning on them.”
Also new to the stadium this year is a self-checkout that uses cameras to see what you leave with. Costa said the adoption rate he has seen from the fans “has been incredible.” Tom Minton, a longtime Orioles fan from Baltimore, said the new system is efficient, but that it has some rough edges. He also said there isn’t a way to add tips, so he has to bring cash for the workers.
Costa said the increased speed of service has led to higher revenue than its predecessor, Delaware North, saw last year, adjusted for attendance. Of course, attendance is up this year — an average of 20,000-plus fans per game in 2023, compared to about 17,000-plus last season.
“I think we’ve met expectations as it relates to finances. It is still early, and it takes a lot to open a building, right?” Costa said. “We’re finding out our revenue continues to grow each homestead as we get more efficient and as our team better knows how to serve these fans.”
Photo Credit: Garrett Dvorkin/BBJ