The St. Louis Cardinals may be one of the most stable franchises in Major League Baseball when it comes to front-office operations, and the offerings at Busch Stadium reflect that stability, remaining largely the same from last season to this season.
Still, the team has made some upgrades to Busch Stadium offerings for 2017. For instance, the team has installed a new right-field club, the Red Jacket Club, an all-you-care-to-eat-and drink venue. A family area has been overhauled with a pint-sized concession stand offering kid-friendly fare, although that section was not totally completed for today’s Opening Day festivities, with the Chicago Cubs in town.
And other new food offerings are more limited. The team held a contest to select one new food item, and a Redbird Chicken Sandwich was the winner. It’s a spicy one, tossed in Buffalo sauce and topped with melted provolone. Other new offering include an Italian sausage and a chorizo sausage served with peppers and onions, and a traditional brat served with that king of toppings, sauerkraut.
The Cardinals are also adding meals on wheels to the Busch Stadium lineup, with the addition of the Cardinals Nation Food Truck (shown above). It will be parked at 8th and Clark Avenue on game days. On the menu: 10 entrée offerings including fan favorites from the Cardinals Nation Restaurant, like the Cardinals Nation Nachos and Four Cheese Mac & Cheese, along with new selections like Bacon Ribs and the Twisted Cheddar Brat.
“We are using a lot of local products to put together our menu,” said Nate Green, Cardinals Nation Director of Operations, who will oversee the Cardinals Nation Food Truck. “Products like G&W sausages and hot dogs, Companion Bread Co., and A Different Twist Pretzel Company really help make these fun menu choices a reality.”
On the facilities front, the Busch Stadium fan experience should be enhanced with the installation of 150 new speakers in the concourse, dramatically increasing the sound quality. But undoubtedly some fans will be irritated by one of the biggest changes at Busch Stadium: the netting has been extended to the outfield end of the dugouts, but the Cardinals says a thinner netting mesh should make it less noticeable during a game.
Image courtesy St. Louis Cardinals.
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