Top 12 sports/recreation food service stories of 2022

After the widespread devastation of the COVID era’s first year, when venues were either closed completely to fans or only allowed restricted numbers, the sports and entertainment concessions market began a recovery in 2021 that accelerated in 2022 to near-normal levels. That meant that concessions operators could again flex their creativity when it came to menu offerings, while the pandemic’s impact on operations ignited what is sure to be a growing and ongoing phenomenon—the use of cutting edge technology ranging from in-seat ordering and code-activated locker pickup to high-tech no-checkout retail spaces.

FM followed these trends over the course of the year, highlighting innovations, adjusted practices, new menu developments and out-of-the-box initiatives that are changing the way sports/entertainment catering and concessions are offered. Here are a dozen features from the past year focused on these developments…