With an eye on social distancing and COVID-19 mitigation, the Pittsburgh Penguins and concessionaire Aramark announced PPG Arena renovations for the start of the NHL season.
The renovations, centering on the in-venue dining experience, are designed to install a contactless experience at PPG Paints Arena. The new offerings are built on new and expanded concepts and introduction of fan-friendly technology.
“The Penguins are very proud to partner with Aramark to make PPG Paints Arena the safest and most innovative sports and entertainment dining experience in the country,” said David Morehouse, CEO and President of the Penguins. “Following our announcement of the Rivers Casino deck last week, we have several construction projects underway to keep our fans safe and we look forward to welcoming fans back to the arena with improved food and beverage facilities and the latest fan interactive technologies.”
“We’re excited to extend our partnership with the Penguins and to use this off-season to further elevate PPG Paints Arena’s dining experience,” Mike McDonald, District Manager, Aramark’s Sports & Entertainment division, said. “Now, more than ever, it’s imperative we provide a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone we serve. We have a long, proud history of serving Penguins fans and I’m confident we will continue to deliver an innovative, dynamic and engaging food and beverage experience for everyone attending events at the arena.”
We’re not going to cover all the improvements–you can see them here–but here are some highlights:
- Self-checkout scanners will be deployed throughout the arena, as fans will place items for purchase on Mashgin artificial intelligence (AI) self-checkout scanners, where they are scanned simultaneously for quick payment, significantly increasing speed of service.
- Self-ordering kiosks will allow fans to fully customize and pay for their order using touch screen technology.
- Mobile ordering will be available through the Penguins mobile app, allowing fans to place an order from their seats and pick it up at designated stands.
Among the new concepts: Drink MKT is an express, self-service beverage market that uses Mashgin AI self-checkout scanners. Created to reduce wait times and increase choice–and get fans back to their seats quickly–the market will offer a wide variety of beverages, including domestic, premium and craft beer, spiked seltzers, canned cocktails and wine, and assorted grab-and-go snacks. Valid ID is still required to purchase alcoholic beverages.
Another new concept is a take on a sports bar: A new destination sports bar on the main concourse, featuring more than ten big screens, high-top tables, lounge seating, and a wall-to-concourse premium bar serving beer, wine and traditional and specialty cocktails.
Finally, the new Fan Favs Express will offer a variety of fan favorites (hot dogs, popcorn, nachos, beverages) and self-checkout, featuring the aforementioned-Mashgin AI scanners, allowing fans to expeditiously complete their transactions. Valid ID is still required to purchase alcoholic beverages.
These changes come on the heels of an announcement of a new betting lounge at the arena.
Renderings courtesy Pittsburgh Penguins.
