How Gameday Gets Its Grub at NRG Stadium
Houston Football takes a look at the process from creative idea to gameday menu
When attending a game at NRG Stadium, there is no shortage of food. The options seem limitless. The variety is staggering.
How do the Texans and their partners at Aramark Sports + Entertainment come up with the menus fans see on gameday?
It’s simple, but it isn’t easy.
“We’re always brainstorming,” said Senior Director of Premium Services for Aramark Chad Clements. “We always have ideas. The entire staff is constantly sending different ideas that we have to each other throughout the entire year.”
Pen to paper, or menu better said, starts to happen in May. Clements, along with numerous chefs and other Aramark employees, must decide what fits for food service in the suites, the club level of NRG, concessions, and more.
There are additions and subtractions from previous menus. Some items are revamped. There aren’t any bad ideas. It’s a massive brainstorm before June, when the numerous ideas get put through a cooking test to see their viability as a potential new menu item.
“We want to be forward thinking,” Clements said. “We want to be the trendsetters. We’re not afraid to push the boundaries. You name it, we will try it.”
Flavor is at the top of mind as a new item goes into production.
Test It Out
May’s brainstorm gives way to a mid-June test run of new ideas.
The culinary team will cook and assemble throughout the morning. The new items, and familiar items getting a different twist are all crafted meticulously. It’s a test run, but also practice for the season. The building will only host a few events before football season arrives. This serves as their version of a scrimmage.
Sonia Johnson, Concessions Chef of NRG Stadium, has been in the kitchen with her team for hours by the time the mid-day taste test arrives. Rows of chicken, pork, po’boys, and more line the serving stations of the concession stand kitchen. Dozens of items have been created. Employees from all over the building come to taste the food and give feedback. Some work for Aramark while others have different jobs within the stadium. Plenty of opinions are solicited. They’re told to be honest and critical. Nobody takes this part of the process personally. They have to get as many different flavor opinions as possible.
It’s also a chance for Johnson and her staff to shore up the cooking and preparation process. Johnson went to use a squirt bottle to dress one of the items, but her sauce’s consistency was too thick for the tiny squirt bottle. She noted that a wider spout would be needed. Someone wrote that note down. The sauce didn’t need adjustment; the tools needed the change.
It’s all helpful in taking the many thoughts from the first half of the year and having them ready for football season.
Executive chefs Alex Sierra and Mike Kain are an integral part of the research but also production of any new items. They and their teams are the input for the ideas on the menu. They have to determine the viability of the output, along with Johnson.
Sierra proudly stated she rarely turns down an idea. The challenge of making it fit is part of her job.
It might be simply a flavor combination that sounds interesting. There might be a TikTok trend that would play well in the concessions. It could simply be a late-night scribble that was turned into an early-morning text. A single word might spur creativity.
Everyone pitches in. The chefs in the building, the development team, fan feedback, and one year, a line cook pitched a unique pretzel idea that later found its way on the menu. The idea can come from anywhere. Nobody dictates what must be on the menu.
And if it doesn’t fit now, it might fit later.
Finally Funnel Cake Fries
Just ask Director of Concessions Marcus Williams. He thought that funnel cake fries would be a big hit with fans at NRG.
“It started two years ago,” Williams said with a smile. “I wanted to try the funnel cake fries. I love loaded fries. We wanted something sweet and savory. We tried it out last year. We weren’t ready for it. This year, I was like ‘We’re doing it.’”
Funnel cake apple pie fries feature a generous helping of funnel cake fries, loaded with warm apple pie filling, dusted with cinnamon sugar, and finished with powdered sugar and sweet caramel drizzle.
(Photo courtesy Aramark Sports + Entertainment)
Williams knew there was more to it than just a dessert item. The funnel cake fries also appear loaded with queso and a tempura chicken that is tossed in a hot honey garlic sauce. Those garnered attention from social media accounts that follow stadium food.
A quick, fun fact the team learned in recent years: tempura-battered chicken holds their sauces better.
The uses for the funnel cake fries were straightforward. Use them sweetly and create a savory version where they substitute for traditional French fries.
Some of the items go through an evolution.
What If It Was This…
In February, with the previous season still fresh on their minds, concessions chef Brent Culp had an idea. In previous restaurants he’d worked, he had labored on mastering a flatbread. Halfway between tostada and tortilla, the pillowy vessel of flavor was ready for something, but what exactly it wasn’t clear.
The flatbread got a test run in June. It was large and loaded with toppings, but not the most maneuverable item. It isn’t impossible to eat stadium food with a fork and knife, and some might prefer the cleaner approach, but most fans would love to get a few bites in during the trip to their seat. Handhelds usually rule.
Enter the fluffy taco. The lightly fried flatbread is topped with spiced ground beef, shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo, and a tangy crema. It’s served with chips and queso. The fluffy taco carries the special flatbread feel from June into a familiar and manageable handheld.
(Photo courtesy Aramark Sports + Entertainment)
Houston has tacos, but not a lot of puffy tacos. You’ve had fries, but have you had sidewinder fries? Williams and Clements both noted that familiarity helps with new items.
“Everyone loves chicken tenders, but how do you make them a little cooler and more fun? Toss ‘em,” Clements exclaimed. “Buffalo lemon pepper is the tossed flavor we’ve seen so many people enjoy. Not everything has to be over the top and crazy.”
Traditional stadium items are still a big hit. Hot dogs, popcorn, and nachos are still crowd favorites for fans.
Sometimes, though, you do want to get a little crazy.
The Making of the M.V.P.
Clements and the staff wanted to utilize a fried cheese item. They developed fried mac and cheese wedges. There was a desire for a new sandwich that the menu hadn’t previously had. Pulled pork seemed like a logistically tasty item.
What if they went together?
The loaded pulled pork sandwich featured the smoked pulled pork, a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce, the fried mac and cheese wedges, and coleslaw on a soft potato bun.
Clements was pleased with the outcome of the sandwich. He left the naming up to his staff, encouraging them to come up with a title fitting this potential standout for the club level.
The Most Valuable Porky was born.
(Photo courtesy Aramark Sports + Entertainment)
Crossover items aren’t always possible, but when they are, it helps get the food out and into a fan’s hands. For example, the Hula Hog Nachos feature the smoked pulled pork present for the Most Valuable Porky. The logistics behind game days are astonishing. Nearly 30 kitchens with hundreds of chefs and cooks prepare thousands of items for concessions, the club level, and suites. Saving a few moments goes a long way for the freshness of the food, but also the satisfaction of fans.
The intense organization and creation of the menu at NRG is all crafted with the hope of creating a lasting moment. Clements noted the staff wants to “Make Food Fun” for anyone who comes to a game. Williams noted he wants people to pass each other in the stadium and ponder, “Where’d you get that?”
Not everything needs to be a best seller. Sales don’t dictate what stays and goes when it comes to adjustments or changes to the menu. When a fan walks through the stadium, the hope is that something, either new or old, jumps out to them. Aramark wants its food to be part of those priceless gameday memories. From a loaded sandwich to a twist on a cultural favorite to a sweet spin on loaded fries, the opportunities for memory-making foods are everywhere. And best of all, those foods won’t be hard to find.
I miss killens bbq