In a game-changing move that promises to transform the sports venue experience, the Athletics (A’s) have announced a long-term partnership with Aramark Sports + Entertainment to create what could become the most innovative hospitality offering in Major League Baseball. The collaboration, which will shape the team’s new Las Vegas ballpark scheduled to open in 2028, brings acclaimed restaurateur and hospitality visionary Will Guidara into the mix as a strategic partner.
Elevating America’s Pastime Through Extraordinary Hospitality
The partnership represents a fundamental shift in how sports venues approach fan experience. Rather than treating food and beverage as merely complementary to the game, the A’s and Aramark are positioning hospitality as a central pillar of the ballpark identity.
“This partnership reflects our belief that great hospitality should be at the heart of the fan experience,” said A’s President Marc Badain. “With Aramark’s culinary expertise and Will’s visionary approach to hospitality, we’re not just building a ballpark, we’re creating a destination that captures the creativity and energy of the Las Vegas community.”
This philosophy aligns perfectly with Las Vegas’s reputation as a global hospitality and entertainment hub, where exceptional service and unforgettable experiences are expected. By bringing this level of hospitality sophistication to baseball, the A’s are positioning themselves to stand out in a competitive entertainment landscape.
Will Guidara: Bringing “Unreasonable Hospitality” to the Ballpark
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this partnership is the involvement of Will Guidara, who brings star power and philosophical depth to the project. Guidara is best known for his New York Times bestselling book “Unreasonable Hospitality,” his former co-ownership of Eleven Madison Park (once named the World’s Best Restaurant), and his role as Co-Producer on the Emmy Award-winning series “The Bear.”
His philosophy of “unreasonable hospitality” centers on going beyond expectations—creating magical moments through thoughtful, personalized service that transforms ordinary interactions into memorable experiences. This approach, which has revolutionized fine dining, will now be adapted to serve tens of thousands of baseball fans simultaneously.
“My team and I couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Aramark and the A’s on a project that’s about so much more than food,” said Guidara. “Together, we’re bringing intention, creativity, and innovation not just to what we serve—but to how we serve it. From bold ideas to subtle touches, we’re dreaming up ways to transform the stadium into a place where hospitality takes the lead, and every moment feels just a little more magical.”
Guidara’s role will extend beyond menu development to include:
- Helping define the ballpark’s overall hospitality brand and philosophy
- Advising on food and beverage programming across all venue spaces
- Supporting strategic partnerships with local and national culinary talent
- Developing training programs that elevate service standards
- Creating signature moments that differentiate the fan experience
Aramark: Bringing Scale and Expertise to the Vision
While Guidara provides the hospitality vision, Aramark Sports + Entertainment brings operational expertise and scale to execute it. As one of the world’s leading food service providers, Aramark currently manages hospitality operations at more than 150 sports venues, including some of baseball’s most iconic parks.
“Our work together with the A’s will be evolutionary in sporting event experiences,” said Alison Birdwell, President and CEO of Aramark Sports + Entertainment. “What we do in Las Vegas will be the gold standard for the industry moving forward.”
The partnership goes beyond a typical vendor relationship. In a significant vote of confidence, Aramark has become a minority owner in the franchise, deepening their commitment to the long-term success of both the venue and the team. This investment underscores the growing recognition that food, beverage, and hospitality are essential drivers of revenue and fan satisfaction in modern sports venues.
A Strategic Response to Changing Fan Expectations
This partnership represents a strategic response to evolving fan expectations. Today’s sports fans—particularly younger demographics—increasingly view attending games as premium entertainment experiences where every aspect matters, from arrival to departure. Food and beverage quality, variety, and service have become differentiating factors in venue selection, sometimes even outweighing team performance in driving attendance decisions.
Research from Technomic’s 2024 Stadium Food & Beverage Consumer Trend Report found that 67% of regular sports attendees consider food and beverage offerings “very important” to their overall experience, with 43% reporting they’ve chosen one venue over another specifically because of superior dining options.
The A’s new approach recognizes these shifting priorities, embracing food and hospitality as central to the fan experience rather than as ancillary services. By partnering with established experts like Aramark and bringing in visionaries like Guidara, the team is positioning its new home to compete not just with other sports venues but with the entire Las Vegas entertainment ecosystem.
Beyond Baseball: Creating a Multi-Purpose Hospitality Destination
The vision extends beyond baseball games. The partners intend to apply their hospitality approach to all events at the venue, from concerts and community gatherings to private and corporate functions. This positions the ballpark as a year-round destination rather than a single-purpose facility used primarily during baseball season.
This multi-use approach has proven successful at venues like San Francisco’s Oracle Park, which hosts approximately 200 non-baseball events annually, generating substantial additional revenue and establishing the park as a civic landmark rather than just a sports facility.
Las Vegas: The Perfect Testing Ground for Hospitality Innovation
Las Vegas provides the ideal backdrop for this hospitality experiment. The city has long been at the forefront of redefining guest experiences, with its integrated resorts constantly pushing boundaries in service, design, and culinary offerings. This culture of innovation creates natural synergies with Guidara’s hospitality philosophy and Aramark’s operational expertise.
The ballpark will join a vibrant landscape of sports venues in Las Vegas, including Allegiant Stadium (home of the NFL’s Raiders) and T-Mobile Arena (home of the NHL’s Golden Knights). Each of these venues has embraced Las Vegas’s entertainment-first ethos, but the A’s partnership with Guidara suggests an even more ambitious approach to integrating world-class hospitality with sports.
What This Means for the Future of Sports Venue Hospitality
The A’s-Aramark-Guidara partnership signals several important trends that could reshape how sports venues approach hospitality:
- Hospitality-First Design: Future venues may increasingly design spaces with food, beverage, and social experiences as primary considerations rather than afterthoughts.
- Cross-Industry Collaboration: Bringing expertise from fine dining and hospitality into sports venues represents a blurring of industry boundaries that could lead to more creative approaches.
- Experience Personalization: The emphasis on memorable moments and personalized service suggests venues will increasingly use technology and training to deliver more customized experiences, even in high-volume settings.
- Local Integration: The focus on capturing “the creativity and energy of the Las Vegas community” highlights the importance of authentic local connections rather than generic offerings.
- Hospitality as Investment: Aramark’s minority ownership position demonstrates that hospitality providers are becoming strategic partners rather than just vendors, with shared risk and reward.
What Fans Can Expect
While specific details of the food and beverage program are still developing, fans can anticipate several innovations based on the partnership’s stated goals:
- Locally inspired dining concepts that reflect Las Vegas’s diverse culinary landscape
- Tiered hospitality experiences across different price points
- Signature service moments that go beyond traditional ballpark interactions
- Technology integration for personalized ordering and service
- Year-round programming that makes the venue a destination even on non-game days
As baseball continues to compete for entertainment dollars in an increasingly crowded marketplace, partnerships like this one suggest that the future of the sport may depend as much on what happens off the field as on it. By reimagining what a ballpark can be and how it can serve its community, the A’s are betting that extraordinary hospitality will be a home run with fans and visitors alike.
For more insights on the evolving landscape of hospitality in sports and entertainment venues, visit Food & Beverage Magazine’s hospitality trends section.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1) linked to https://www.amazon.com/Beverage-Magazines-Guide-Restaurant-Success/dp/1119668964, Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” for founding American Wholesale Floral. Politz is also the founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
