Nationals Park will be packed full of local flavors you鈥檝e probably tried before, just never at a ballgame.
And the emphasis will be on getting them to you as fast as possible.
鈥淧eople are giving up their free time to be here, and so let鈥檚 make sure there鈥檚 a limited amount of friction in that experience,鈥� said Jonathan Stahl, the team鈥檚 vice president of experience and hospitality.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e coming from work? We want to get you in the building as quickly as possible. You came to watch baseball? Let鈥檚 get you your food and beverage back to your seat as quickly as possible.鈥�
That means no cash will be accepted in the park this year, which also means you won鈥檛 be standing in line waiting for the guy in front of you to get change for a 20 either. Last year, almost 40% of all food and beverage orders were done through ordering on the . This year, the Nats hope to expand that so you won鈥檛 have to wait long, if at all.
鈥淲e鈥檙e adding more locations, making the app easier to use with filtering technology so you can choose based on where you鈥檙e sitting in the ballpark or what you鈥檙e looking for,鈥� said Stahl. 鈥淭he whole idea in everything we do is ‘How do we get you back to your seat faster?’鈥�
In some cases, that means ordering on the app and having it ready to go sitting on a counter, similar to how some restaurants do their online pickup service.
It also means you might not have to wait long if you come to the park hungry, which no one will blame you for doing. Local favorites you鈥檒l find on the menu this year include Rockland鈥檚 BBQ, Hard Times Chili, Duke鈥檚 Grocery and Roaming Rooster.
鈥淚 really think the sandwiches from Roaming Rooster are great, so if you haven鈥檛 been to one of their locations or been to one of their food trucks, I think this is a great opportunity to check it out,鈥� said Stahl. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e the baseball team in Washington, D.C., you鈥檙e a fabric of the community. So we represent all of what鈥檚 happening in the Washington area.
鈥淎s the food scene has grown in Washington, we鈥檝e really been able to capitalize on that and bring those restaurants into the ballpark,鈥� he added.
鈥淓specially because we鈥檙e not just Washington, D.C. We鈥檙e Maryland and Virginia. So you may have Marylanders who don鈥檛 make it into Virginia or vice versa, so the ballpark creates this great place where they can all come in and enjoy great local fare.鈥�
For dessert, the Nationals have brought in ice cream from South Mountain Creamery, which has become a local legend of sorts in the Montgomery-Frederick County area.
鈥淭his is a big deal,鈥� said Tony Brusco, CEO and one of the owners and family members of South Mountain Creamery. 鈥淭his is a very big deal for our family and our whole operation.鈥�
He promises each cup of ice cream will be packed with the best flavors.
鈥淎ll of the ingredients are clean, there鈥檚 no artificial colors, no artificial flavoring,鈥� said Brusco. 鈥淧ure vanilla, pure chocolate cocoa in our chocolate ice cream.鈥�
There鈥檚 no shortage of beer options, but you鈥檒l also find cocktails from locally based Pratt Standard on the menu too, including a special cherry blossom cocktail to go with the team鈥檚 City Connect series.
鈥淢ade with sour cherry juice, green tea, rose petal, lemon juice and vodka,鈥� said founder Tory Pratt as she shook one up. She promises you鈥檒l find it refreshing, not hard, at a ballpark, because her drinks are less sweet than the stuff you might get at a bar, thanks in part to the freshly squeezed juices coming from their home in Northeast D.C.
鈥淭his is going to be like that porch-drinking drink that you really want to drink all evening.鈥�
But if you鈥檙e trying to be a responsible drinker, don鈥檛 worry, there鈥檚 a non-alcoholic version, too.
Nationals’ Opening Day:
- Stormy forecast forces Nationals to start home opener in evening
- Washington Nationals 2022 Opening Day: Road closures and parking
- Nationals Preview: Constructing the next contender in 2022
- New security features at Nats Park hope to make your entrance faster
- PHOTOS: Meet the 2022 Washington Nationals
- VIDEO: 草莓传媒 Sports Team give its predictions for Nats鈥� 2022 season
