FM 50: Delaware North Companies

DNC consists of six operating units. The Sportservice sports and entertainment arm is the largest and most prominent, managing premium dining, catering and concessions at more than 50 stadiums, ballparks and arenas in the United States.  

A management restructuring last fall saw Sportservice unit President Rick Abramson become president of the Parks & Resorts division while DNC Boston/DNC International President John Wentzell succeeded Abramson as Sportservice president. Current Parks & Resorts President Kevin Kelly moved into a newly created role as vice president of shared services for the company’s global operations and Jim Houser, currently vice president of administration for the company, was named Parks & Resorts COO.

Sportservice enhanced its focus on fan favorites that celebrate a given city’s cuisine at dozens of its locations such as Green Bay. There, it debuted items like “Pac ‘n Cheese,” featuring Wisconsin cheese and macaroni served with a choice of Buffalo chicken, chili, bratwurst or bacon. It also continued its partnership with the Food Network, rolling out customizable hot dog topping bars at several Major League ballparks.

DNC recently signed an agreement to become the first major hospitality/foodservice company to join Greener Fields Together, the sustainability program recently launched by produce distributor, Pro*Act. It also worked to provide tasty, gluten-free menu options at each of the 10 Major League Baseball stadiums at which it operates.   

In the past year, DNC’s Travel Hospitality unit opened over a dozen new restaurants in major airports, including at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport. Most noteworthy, it opened Skewers by “Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto, an expanded Wolfgang Puck Express at LAX and the first-ever Food Network Kitchen at Fort Lauderdale.

Hartsfield-Jackson was a major contract addition in 2012, along with LAX and Dallas-Fort Worth. There have also been several contract extensions with restaurant concepts at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.