The Utah Jazz and Vivint Smart Home Arena have announced the formation of a partnership with Levy, a sports dining specialty company that caters especially to NBA teams and arenas, to manage food and beverage facilities when the downtown Salt Lake City facility debuts its $125 million renovation in October.
The joint venture, to be known as Salted Honey Hospitality, also extends to Smith’s Ballpark, the home of the Triple-A baseball Salt Lake Bees, as well as the Tour of Utah professional cycling stage race in August and the Salt Lake City Stars season of the NBA G League beginning in November. More than 2 million guests annually attend events at these Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment venues.
“Distinctive and delicious food choices are an important part of the game-day experience,” said Jim Olson, president of Vivint Smart Home Arena. “Our guests deserve best-in-class hospitality from trend-inspired menus to building favorites when they attend our events. We are bringing together hometown restaurants and the culinary expertise of Levy to truly elevate the dining experience.”
The name Salted Honey Hospitality reflects the intent to bring guest experiences to life with the focus on the details of a world-class food experience, and the spirit of teamwork and family-style hospitality, said Olson. Under the Salted Honey Hospitality umbrella, Vivint Smart Home Arena restaurant partners will retain their individual brand and food specialties.
Levy has extensive experience in professional sports and developing market-relevant food experiences for fans at NBA facilities, including Barclays Center in Brooklyn, United Center in Chicago and Moda Center in Portland. Its diverse portfolio includes restaurants services at the Grammy Awards, PGA Championship, US Open Tennis Championships and Kentucky Derby.
“This is a unique opportunity to create a signature hospitality brand that deeply impacts the live entertainment experience across Salt Lake City,” said Andy Lansing, president and CEO of Levy. “Our expertise cultivating local tastes for a wide array of fans, combined with Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment’s skill producing first-class events, will deliver a high-quality, memorable experience for all visitors to the arena.”?
Vivint Smart Home Arena is undergoing a comprehensive rebuilding of its food and beverageofferings. Inspired by an emerging, entrepreneurial food scene, more than 30 local restaurants and vendors have already been engaged as food providers next season. The four corners of the main concourse will feature specialty menus with barbecue from R&R, hand-tossed pizzas from Maxwell’s, Mexican food from El Chubasco and gourmet hamburgers and signature beef sandwiches from Cubby’s. Utah favorites JDawgs Polish and beef hot dogs and Hire’s old-fashioned drive-in-style burgers are also joining CupBop Korean barbecue and Zao Asian Café.