Now on deck at Dodger Stadium: Corned beef and pastrami sandwiches piled high, matzo ball soup, kosher pickles and other delicacies from Canter’s Delicatessen.
The famed Los Angeles deli will operate a stand on the third base side of the stadium’s field level beginning opening day next Monday.
And Canter’s isn’t the only L.A. landmark new to the stadium as the team celebrates its 50th season in Los Angeles. Other local brands making a bow include bakery Mrs. Beasley’s, Camacho’s Cantina and Ruby’s Diner, said Yvonne Carrasco, Dodgers spokeswoman.
Traditional ballpark fare has given way to more dining options at baseball stadiums across the country. Dodger Stadium in recent years added California Pizza Kitchen and Panda Express, for example.
For Canter’s, the Dodger Stadium location marks only its second expansion from its home on Fairfax Avenue, where it has been located since 1953. In 2003, a Canter’s opened inside of Treasure Island Hotel in Las Vegas. It used Dodgers memorabilia as decorations.
The new restaurant line-up is the end of the first phase of a $60 million, multi-year revamp by Dallas-based HKS Architects to renovate one of the nation’s oldest baseball stadiums. Field level seating saw the first improvements. The remaining levels are scheduled for a re-do over the next few years.
The renovations completed for this year added two baseline box clubs one each on the first and third base sides, Carrasco pointed out. High-end ticket holders with seats in the Hollywood Bowl-style boxes on the field will have exclusive access to the club areas that offer buffet dining, a full service bar and private restroom.
Also, the entire field level concourse was widened. The added room allows food stands the space for more refrigerators and stoves. The level now has double the points of sale for food and double the restrooms.
And even though different kinds of food are available, staples such as Farmer John Dodger Dogs, the foot-long hot dogs produced by 50-year Dodger sponsor Farmer John, will now be available at every food stand, Carrasco said. The top-selling hot dog in baseball, last year 1,574,660 Dodger Dogs were sold throughout the season.
The Dodgers know food is a big attraction. The team last year changed the right field bleacher section into the AMPM All-You-Can-Eat section, and it brought in $2.2 million in additional revenues for the team.
Tickets in the all-you-can-eat section sold for $35 compared to just $5 in 2006 when fans purchased food a la carte (discounted tickets are available for groups). After deducting food costs, the team reported revenues of $17.60 per individual.
