Batter up! Phillies to debut Federal Donuts and beer garden
Fried chicken and doughnuts will make their way onto the roster at Citizens Bank Park.
Batter up! Phillies to debut Federal Donuts and beer garden
Michael Klein, Philly.com
Let’s revise that old baseball song: “Buy me some chicken and dough-oh-nuts…”
The Phillies and Aramark have drafted Federal Donuts - the chicken and carb shops in South Philly and Pennsport - to host a stand in Ashburn Alley at Citizens Bank Park this season.
The official announcement was made midday Tuesday, March 19.
Kevin Tedesco, Aramark’s general manager at the ballpark, said he and colleagues visited FedNuts both announced and unannounced several months ago to sample the wares. “We like to see the excitement from working with local partners,” he said, noting that Aramark started working years ago with a sports-bar upstart named Chickie’s & Pete at Veterans Stadium. At the time, it had one location.
Talks began immediately.
Steve Cook, one of the FedNuts partners, said he initially had misgivings. “The products are so simple, they’re so easy to screw up,” he said. “The product has to be what they can get in one of the stores.”
Aramark assured them that the quality would be the same.
Initially, Cook said, Aramark would sell the plain doughnuts – not the fancies – made on site with a “doughnut robot." The chicken will be fried on-site.
Think this combo is out of left field? It will be, literally, as FedNuts will take the place of McNally’s Tavern’s Schmitter stand, which will move about 50 feet.
“When you hear ‘doughnuts and chicken,’ you don’t put them together until you see them at their shop,” said Jeremy Campbell, Aramark's director of concessions at the ballpark. During a tasting, he said, he started with the most basic and by the time he realized it, “I had like 4 doughnuts. The maple bacon is one of the greatest things I’ve ever eaten.”
New: The Federal Donuts food will be sold as two pieces of chicken with one doughnut and as a two-pack of doughnuts. Retail price was not set.
Federal Donuts is just one new feature at the ballpark from Aramark managers, who know they have to throw a change-up every year to keep the food roster fresh.
The plans for 2013 also will include a covered beer garden near the bullpens with a line of beers including a proprietary beer from Victory called Alley Brewing Company Lager.
Aramark also is expanding the menu to include wings, which might not sound like a big deal. But at a baseball stadium, wings can be a huge mess in the seating area, said Tedesco. To help solve that, they have added more tables and seats in Bull’s BBQ to accommodate.
The hot dog will get special treatment, as Aramark, the Phillies and Hatfield are rebranding the hot dogs as “Phillies Franks.”
Especially at Harry the K’s, the complement will expand to include Harry’s Double Dog (extra-long hot dog, pickled red onions, tomato relish, jalapeño cheddar cheese sauce) and a Chicago Dog (Sweet green relish, diced tomatoes, onions, peppers, poppy seeded bun).
Harry the K’s also will sell hickory-smoked pulled pork (bourbon barbecue sauce, coleslaw, potato bun), chicken burger (red onion slaw, pickled tomatoes, citrus-Dijon aioli, griddled brioche bun); roast beef (wilted baby spinach, fontina cheese, roasted red peppers, horseradish aioli); smoked turkey wrap (applewood smoked bacon, tomatoes, bibb lettuce, black pepper aioli, whole wheat wrap); and toasted chicken grinder (roasted peppers, mozzarella, baby spinach, oven dried tomatoes, house-cured pickles, spicy chili garlic relish, extra virgin olive oil).
Tedesco said Aramark would add new carts for hot and cold condiments, including different mustards and hot sauerkraut.
Also new this year will be a stand dedicated to gluten-free items (behind Section 136) such as hot dogs, pizza, cheesesteaks, and pork sandwiches .
Addendum: Federal Donuts is looking in University City for a new location.
Woohoo! Gluten free! Beer too?— glp1979- They've had redbridge beer available at two stands for a few years. Although it was odd that the GF hotdogs were sold at a different stand than the beer. Hopefully it's all in the same place for 2013— OnTheBandwagon
- yes, i am sure the quality will be the same with the well-trained Aramark employees making thousands of donuts vs. a tiny shop in S Philly making 100-200 each day. the only thing Aramark assured the owners is that they'd make it rain. good for them, but please don't try to sell us that the quality will remain the same.— The Boston Strangler
- Anything to keep the fans minds off the slop being served up on the field.— Wilhelm Von Humboldt
- Instead of garbage like donuts why don't they have a carved beef or turkey stand at CBP. Usually sandwiches like these are only available in the suite sections of the park. Make them available all fans. I've tried them at other parks and they are very popular.— Drew777
- when the stadium is half empty by june, this is a good idea— mike64
- Damn people, you need get something real in your life if you are already whining about the Phillies season.— LGbalsac
- trying to be as negative as the usual cast of Les Miserables on this site. but I just can't. Totally excited about federal donuts at the bank.— fbrookes
- Big deal, none of it will be upstairs with us have-nots. And it'll be exceedingly overpriced, anyway. I eat at Reading. At CBP, we get 2 lg sodas, a pretzel and popcorn and it's $20 - last year. Can't wait to see the newfangled prices.— PhillySubsMac
- Is somebody at the park forcing you to stay in your seat? Get up. Walk around. Visit Ashburn Alley. CBP is ranked as having some of the best food in baseball on an annual basis, but you won't find that out by wasting your appetite on Aramark pretzels and popcorn. If the food is too pricey, try picking-up hoagies from one of the dozens of locally owned South Philly hoagie shops that will blow-away anything you're eating in Reading. Problem solved. — The Pack Leader
- It will be interesting to see if they can keep up w/ the high standard of their 2 other units - especially w/ Aramark workers. I hope it works...— gaffer broadcaster
- A nice story and better great local business getting a spot in a MLB stadium. also all the negativity is uncalled for love how a key board makes someone a genius. if you dont like something a comment section is not the correct place outside in the real world is. that said cant wait to get some grub in the sun and watch baseball again a shame you guys cant see the little things.— SegasArnold
Ch*ist! It looks like THE WORST ghetto, roach-infested dump in the picture. People are really excited about this??? Yuck!- I have a feeling you'd find a way to say something dim-witted about the way the Rittenhouse Square location looks, as well. Go pound sand... — The Pack Leader
- Are they going to sell out of chicken by the 2nd inning to insure that authentic Federal Donuts experience?— omp
