City Picks New Caterer For Events
From hot-dog gobbling hockey fans to espresso-sipping opera buffs, a Connecticut company has won a contract to feed more people per year than most local restaurants ever hope to serve.
Service America will provide food and beverages for more than 1.3 million people here every year when it takes over catering contracts July 1 at the Spokane Convention Center, Ag Trade Center and the Opera House. It will also cater at the new sports arena when it opens in mid-September.
Service America, a Stamford, Conn.-based caterer, will replace ARAMARK (formerly ARA Leisure Services) as caterer for most sports and convention events in Spokane. The company will make capital investments of $2.8 million at the new arena and in kitchen facilities at the convention center.
Kevin Twohig, general manager of the new Spokane Veterans Arena, said visitors are not likely to notice the transition.
Service America hopes to begin staffing Spokane offices in midMay. The offices, which will be in the Spokane Center and in the new arena, will house eight to 10 full-time staff members and up to 150 part-time workers.
“It’s going to be fairly seamless,” Twohig said. “Most of the staff will be retained, including the head chef at the convention center. I don’t expect to see any significant changes.”
The convention center and sports arena received two bids - from Service America and ARAMARK. ARAMARK is a food service company that has contracts at professional and amateur sports facilities nationwide.
The Spokane facilities decided to go with Service America because it promised to invest more into the building than ARAMARK, Twohig said.
“The bids were similar in philosophy and service level … but Service America was much more aggressive financially both in their investment and their return to the facilities,” Twohig said.
Service America, which will sign the Spokane contract by May 1, oversees catering services at 25 convention centers nationwide, including the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle.