Beer, food and Wi-Fi topped the agenda for the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority's monthly meeting Friday as the panel got updates on the building now 87 percent complete.
"How do you make sure it's all going to work before the first big event?" Commissioner John Griffith asked Jamie Hodgson, general manager of Aramark, the company that will run concessions at the 66,800-seat stadium set to open in July.
Everyone chuckled at the question about the herculean task ahead of Hodgson, who gave a lengthy answer that boiled down to a word: Planning. Hodgson said he's been in regular contact with his counterpart at Houston's NRG Stadium, but said the new Vikings facility will be a challenge because of the expanded coterie of suites.
Both he and Jim Farstad, the stadium's technology consultant, gave their first extended public updates on the project, an indication of how the rapid progression of work on the $1.1 billion building in Downtown East. The U.S. Bank Stadium is the largest public-private partnership in state history with taxpayers covering just under $500 million of the cost.
Hodgson talked about the challenges of servicing the building that include the high security at NFL games, but also the unique structure of seats.
Instead of two rings of suites like older buildings, "You've got eight pods of suites with eight pantries and eight management staffs," he said.
This spring, Hodgson said Aramark will begin hiring the 1,700 workers necessary to run concessions. Farstad said there will be 600 points of sale in the building including 39 concession stands and 50 to 70 portable food carts.
Hodgson said he's working on solidifying the 15 to 20 partnerships with local restaurants for the food and there will be familiar names, larger partners who are well-known, as well as some smaller ones. He revealed not a hint of who they might be or what they will serve — saving that for later.
