Delaware North’s future headquarters topped off
at celebratory event
The corner of Delaware Avenue and Chippewa Street in
downtown Buffalo, N.Y., looks quite a bit different these
days, thanks to the rising steel-framed structure that in 2015
will be the new global headquarters of Delaware North
Companies.
And on Friday, officials from Delaware North and Uniland
Development Co. – the development company that is leading
the construction – hosted media and several political
representatives for a “topping off” ceremony as the building
reached its maximum height of 12 stories.
“In 2015, Delaware North will move into its new global
headquarters at 250 Delaware Avenue,” Delaware North
Companies President and COO Chuck Moran said at the highprofile gathering on Friday. “We are confident that our new
headquarters will reflect the vision of the Jacobs family and
be a fitting reflection of Delaware North’s reputation as one of
the most admired privately held companies in the world. What
makes this move even more special is the fact we will be
celebrating our 100 year anniversary at the same time.”
Delaware North Companies President and COO Chuck Moran discusses the
company’s future global headquarters – pictured in the background – at
Friday’s “topping off” ceremony in Buffalo, N.Y.
The 330,000-square-foot building – now in its fifth month of construction – will include a 120-room, Delaware North-operated hotel,
along with ground-level retail and an adjoining five-level parking ramp.
The event – catered by Delaware North – included remarks from local political dignitaries Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, Erie County
Executive Mark Poloncarz and U.S. Rep. Brian Higgans, all of whom thanked the Jacobs family for its commitment to Buffalo.
Chairman, Charlie Jacobs host Boston Bruins media day ahead of
season opener
Boston Bruins owner and Delaware North Companies Chairman and CEO
Jeremy Jacobs and Delaware North/Bruins Principal Charlie Jacobs on
Tuesday joined team President Cam Neely and General Manager Peter
Chiarelli in meeting with local and national media at TD Garden a day
ahead of the beginning of the NHL season.
Mr. Jacobs (at left talking to Boston Bruins TV) answered questions from
local and national media about the state of the organization and the NHL as
a whole.
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“There’s every reason to believe that we should be a great team this year,” Mr. Jacobs, who also serves as president of the NHL Board
of Governors, told NESN.
Not long before the opening faceoff, Mr. Jacobs made pregame show appearances on NESN and 98.5 The Sports Hub (CBS Boston),
previewing both the task at hand -- the Flyers -- and the season ahead.
Video of both Mr. Jacobs and Charlie Jacobs from the Bruins media day is available here: http://tinyurl.com/nfw6kk6
Bruins open season with a win at freshly renovated TD Garden
The Boston Bruins, owned by Delaware North Companies
Chairman and CEO Jeremy Jacobs, opened the 2014-15 season
with a 2-1 victory Wednesday over the Philadelphia Flyers at TD
Garden, where fans were able to soak in the first phase of the
venue’s $70 million renovation.
The comprehensive, arena-wide upgrade -- led by Delaware
North/Bruins Principal Charlie Jacobs -- touches every aspect of the
TD Garden fan experience. The completed first phase includes a
floor-to-ceiling redesign and refurbishment of the level-four loge
concourse and the addition of eight concessions outlets.
“This is for our fans; they’ve asked for this,” TD Garden President
Amy Latimer told reporters during a pregame tour of the
renovations.
Legends, the largest restaurant in TD Garden, has a sleek new look this
season.
Also included in the project’s first phase is the reopening of
Legends, TD Garden’s largest restaurant. Legends received a head-to-toe makeover, featuring a reconfigured footprint with a modern,
sports-themed design to go along with refreshed culinary offerings -- including a raw bar, a brick oven and a charcuterie station.
The technology upgrades include new state-of-the-art technology solutions using Cisco’s Connected Stadium Wi-Fi & StadiumVision
to create innovative digital fan experiences well into the future.
Read more about the first phase of the renovation in this detailed Boston Globe story, which includes several photographs:
http://tinyurl.com/kz2xfw3.
Sportservice ‘Big Hitters’ knock it out of the park on Food Network program
Four Delaware North Companies Sportservice
executive chefs were featured Wednesday
evening on the hit Food Network series
“Chopped.” The episode was titled “Big Hitters,”
a play on the fact that each runs the culinary
operation at a Major League Baseball venue.
And while all four of the chefs served up dishes
that went beyond the judges’ expectations –
drawing a significant amount of praise – it was
James Major, executive chef at Great American
Ball Park in Cincinnati, who came out on top in
the competition-based program.
Major outlasted fellow Sportservice executive
chefs Cris Vazquez (Globe Life Park in
Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers), Josh
Distenfeld (Oriole Park at Camden Yards, home
of the Baltimore Orioles) and Jessica Helms,
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“Chopped” host Ted Allen (left) explains the rules to Jessica Helms, Josh Distenfeld, James Major
and Cris Vazquez (pictured from left to right).
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who served as executive chef at the St. Louis Cardinals’ Busch Stadium when the show was filmed.
In a three-round competition, the chefs were each given baskets filled with ingredients/food products and were tasked with creating
original dishes.
Major’s winning dishes included spicy Italian sausage with sunflower seed pesto, pan-seared flank steak with pretzel popover, blue
cheese horseradish sauce and port wine reduction, along with desert consisting of popcorn ice cream, blueberry churros and hotdog
bun tiramisu.
“We taped the episode last year,” Major, a Cleveland native, explained to CleveScene.com in a story that can be read here:
http://tinyurl.com/ll7dqp9. “We had to cook an appetizer, entrée and dessert using food in a basket. There was always a few normal
ingredients and a few curveballs, no pun intended.”
Major’s victory even drew a social-media shout-out from the Cincinnati Reds’ official Twitter account.
“Congratulations to GABP Executive Chef James Major, winner of ‘Chopped’ tonight on the Food Network,” the Reds tweeted to
their following of more than 334,000.
The episode will be aired again Oct. 16 at 9 p.m. ET, Oct. 17 at 12 a.m. ET and Oct. 18 at 6 p.m. ET.
Buffalo Sabres and Sportservice unveil new menu items to media
The Buffalo Sabres and food and beverage
services provider Delaware North Companies
Sportservice on Tuesday unveiled to Western
New York media a variety of new menu items
to be offered during the 2014-15 NHL season
at First Niagara Center.
Scott Green, Sportservice’s executive chef at
First Niagara Center, was on-hand to preview
several of his team’s creations, including newto-concessions items Italian Sausage Flat
Bread, Buffalo Chicken Flat Bread, Fried
Banana Pepper Rings, the Cuban Melt
Panini, Pastrami and Swiss Panini, Loaded
Potato Chips, Dessert Chips and the Hot Ice
Cream Sandwich.
A handful of the news stories from the event
can be read below.
Buffalo Business First:
http://tinyurl.com/o59woq2
Delaware North Companies Sportservice Executive Chef Scott Green tells Buffalo’s CBS affiliate
about the new food offerings for Sabres fans this year at First Niagara Center.
Artvoice: http://tinyurl.com/nwzpkhj
WIVB (CBS): http://tinyurl.com/ncwsvtv
WGRZ (NBC): http://tinyurl.com/nklougk
Delaware North enters the resource and mining sector
Delaware North in late August partnered with catering and accommodation provider Northern Rise Holdings to seek major contracts
in the resources sector across northern Australia.
The joint venture – Northern Rise Village Services -- combines the proven local expertise of Northern Rise founders Gary Bradford,
Gary Mickler and John Hodgins in providing accommodation services to mining and oil and gas projects, with Delaware North’s
global processes, hospitality expertise and financial strength.
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The joint venture has already secured its first contract with Laing O’Rourke to manage two accommodation villages in the Surat
Basin, Queensland for Australia Pacific LNG, comprising 650 rooms.
Northern Rise Village Services has also begun operating all the resources sector contracts previously held by Northern Rise Holdings.
This comprises approximately 1,200 rooms and other village facilities and services in the Northern Territory and Queensland.
Northern Rise Director Gary Bradford said the joint venture would deliver high quality and competitive accommodation services for
clients with a focus on continual innovation to ensure a better experience for guests.
“We have a strong growth strategy in place that includes entering the Western Australian market to complement our activities in the
Northern Territory and Queensland,” Bradford said in a release announcing the partnership.
Northern Rise Village Services has offices in Darwin, Brisbane and Perth to ensure it is able to work closely with its clients to help
them improve service and productivity.
Delaware North Companies Australia Managing Director Gary Brown said the joint venture was a perfect vehicle for combining
decades of local knowledge in the resources sector with world’s best practice and leadership in large-scale accommodation and
hospitality management.
“We have been looking for an opportunity to bring our skills and expertise to the resources sector and Northern Rise is the right
partner to allow us to enter this market and compete with the established players.” Brown said in the release.
Northern Rise Village Services will provide clients with a range of services including accommodation, catering, maintenance, security
and transport.
Bradford said the joint venture offers clients the opportunity to work with a highly experienced local management team that is focused
on making multiple incremental improvements to the service in each village to ensure guests feel they are always receiving the high
quality accommodation and catering available in remote locations.
Atlantis Astronauts reunite at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to mark one-year anniversary of shuttle exhibit
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex – operated by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts for NASA – on Thursday
celebrated the one-year anniversary of the $100-million Space Shuttle AtlantisSM attraction with the Atlantis Astronaut Adventure,
which featured 12 NASA astronauts, all of whom flew on the historic orbiter.
The 12 Atlantis astronauts – Clayton Anderson, Bo Bobko, John
Creighton, Charlie Walker, Hoot Gibson, Fred Gregory, Ken Ham,
Mike McCulley, Jerry Ross, Brian Duffy, Bob Springer and Dan
Tani – participated in a first-of-its-kind Lunch with an Astronaut
event, featuring an astronaut at each table.
In addition, the astronauts appeared throughout the day in Astronaut
Encounter at the visitor complex. Each astronaut gave a 30-minute
“Mini Mission Recap,” highlighting their missions aboard Atlantis.
“It’s an amazing experience to be able to stand in a room with
astronauts, I mean they’ve gone to space and that is, to me, the most
incredible experience,” said Tonya George of Merritt Island, Fla.,
who was in attendance at the events.
Veteran NASA astronaut Robert “Hoot” Gibson, one of the
astronauts participating in the day’s events, spoke about space
exploration.
Astronauts Dan Tani (left) and Clayton Anderson take a quick “selfie”
with Atlantis as the backdrop.
“With the International Space Station we’ve got American astronauts that are orbiting the Earth right now, right at this moment, every
day of the year.” He said. “I think we have a bright future in exploration. The SLS, Space Launch System, is going to give us a
capability to go beyond orbit.”
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Space Shuttle Atlantis has become a must-see experi
experience
ence for Central Florida tourists following its grand opening on June 29, 2013.
Guests experience the inspiring accomplishments of the U.S. space shuttle program at the unique 90,000
90,000-square-foot attraction, where
visitors get nose to nose with a real space-flown
flown orbiter. The Atlantis orbiter is di
displayed
splayed as if floating in space or departing from the
International Space Station – the only space shuttle orbiter in the world exhibited this way
way.
Customer-service
service pledge display unveiled at Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack
Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack associates and management this week pledged their
commitment to providing customers with the best experience possible -- each and every
day.
A wall display dedicated to the commitment was unveiled on Thursday
Thursday, prominently
displaying the words, “Best Customer Service: Our Pledge to You.” The display was
signed by Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack associates and will hang in the entryway of
the main gaming floor.
“We are focused on making the customer experience the primary consideration in every
decision and action we make” said Chris Riegle, president and general manager at the
Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment
Entertainment-owned-and-operated gaming
venue in Farmington, N.Y.
Riegle also encouraged associates to think of the world from the experience of the
customer and see the facility through their eyes.
Marketing Manager Marisa Bennett signs her
pledge as Marketing Specialist Hannah
Zimmerman looks on.
Got news? Let us know
We know that Delaware North operates at some of the coolest locations on the planet. Each day, we serve hundreds of thousands of
customers on four continents. And the Corporate Communications team wants to hear your stories.
If you have news and/or greatt photos to share, please email it to
[email protected]. We will take the best stories and share them on the company’s
news hub sites, including Facebook, Twitter and in the www.DelawareNorth.com newsroom.
Meanwhile, “FYI,” the daily news compilation service, will no longer be distributed via email and
will instead live on the newsroom and through social media channels, where stories are frequently
shared.
Please be sure to like the company’s Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/DelawareNorthCompanies,
and follow along on Twitter: @DelawareNorth.
Patina Restaurant Group opens Empire State Building location
Patina Restaurant Group – the latest operating company to join the Delaware
North Companies family – and Empire State Realty Trust this week announced
the opening of State Grill and Bar -- a new, upscale dining destination at the
Empire State Building in New York City.
The modern New York eatery – currently open for dinner service – will soon
offer a lively breakfast, sophisticated lunch, an elegant bar, three private dining
rooms and office catering. The restaurant will present ingredient
ingredient-driven menus,
supporting and showcasing New York State farmers, brewers, winemakers,
producers and purveyors.
State Grill and Bar is now open for dinner in New York
City’ss historic Empire State Building.
Echoing the Empire State Building’s striking aesthetics and important legacy, the distinctive interior features exceptional finishes
f
and
a balanced design of art deco and modern architecture.
Three sleek rooms on the concourse level offer exception
exceptional
al private dining experiences and space for exclusive events.
events
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10…9…8: The countdown continues to Employee Learning Week
The countdown to Employee Learning Week -- taking place Dec. 1-5 – has reached the eightweek mark.
This week’s highlighted Delaware North Core Leadership Competencies is Driving Business
Results.
Delaware North Virtual University (DNCVU) offers a one-hour course that shows the importance of motivation for performance on
priorities and some basic principles for taking actions to address team members’ higher needs.
The Setting and Managing Priorities within the Organization: Motivation online course is a great resource that will help you to explore
ways to keep a project and your team on track to achieve your business results:
https://dnc.skillport.com/skillportfe/main.action?path=summary/COURSES/lead_11_a03_bs_enus
In this course, you can explore the information and keep the skill briefs for a reference. Your journey may include obstacles, but
commitment, persistence, and implementing a plan that remains flexible in responding to the unexpected is mission critical, the course
points out.
Join the weekly learning selections as the countdown to Employee Learning Week continues.
Questions about Delaware North Core Leadership Competencies and DNCVU can be sent to [email protected].
Sportservice executive chef makes NFL Network appearance
Eric Borgia, executive chef for Delaware North Companies Sportservice at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., this morning
made an appearance on NFL Network’s “NFL AM.”
Watch the segment here: http://tinyurl.com/olrdwmf
People on the Move
Moving in
Andrew Hall has joined Delaware North Companies Sportservice as executive restaurant chef at Lambeau Field (Green Bay, Wis.). Robert
Campbell has joined Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts as a retail manager at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Joseph Ighnat has
joined Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment as director of food and beverage at Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack (Wheeling,
W.Va.). Lynn Heermann has joined Sportservice as a sous chef at Edward Jones Dome (St. Louis). Guy Hooper has joined Sportservice as a sous
chef in the Lexus Club at First Niagara Center (Buffalo, N.Y.). Stefanie Dickinson has joined Delaware North as an IT security administrator at
global headquarters in Buffalo.
Moving up
Andy Worden has been promoted by Sportservice to concessions manager at Great American Ball Park (Cincinnati). Tylor Mettlor has been
promoted by Sportservice to operations manager at Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio).
Moving around
David Herr III is now a banquet manager for Delaware North Companies Gaming Hospitality Group at Choctaw Casino Resort (Durant, Okla.).
Moving out
Michelle Garcia (Memphis International Airport). Paul Keltz (Shenandoah National Park). Julia Rowan (Comerica Park). Didier Gerbi (Tenaya
Lodge at Yosemite). Salvatore Mendola (Sequoia National Park).
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Photos of the Week
Pictured from L to R: Dan Zimmer, Delaware North’s vice president of corporate finance and development; Delaware North President
and COO Chuck Moran; and Uniland Development Co. Vice President Michael Montante sign the final beam before it rises to the top of
the 12-story structure that in 2015 will be home to Delaware North’s global headquarters (story on Page 1).
Sportservice District Manager Don Dierig (pictured left, in left photo), and the team at Great American Ball Park hosted a viewing party
for Executive Chef James Major, who, as mentioned in a story above, appeared on Food Network’s “Chopped.” Dierig presented Major
with a framed “Chopped”-embroidered chef coat, and the celebration was attended by more than 50 people, including Major’s family,
who he is pictured with at right.
The next edition of 360° will be published Oct. 17, 2014. Please contact the Communications Department’s Charlie Roberts with any
news or pictures at [email protected]
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