COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina (USC) today announced it has awarded a multi-year contract for managing food and beverage services at on-campus athletic facilities to Aramark.
Under terms of the agreement, Aramark, which partners with more than 15 NCAA Division I Athletics programs, will provide food and beverage services for eight USC campus venues, including Williams-Brice Stadium, Colonial Life Arena and Founders Park. For premium dining and catering services, Aramark has partnered with Columbia, S.C.-based Southern Way Catering, which has managed these services at the football stadium for the past five years.
Today’s announcement expands the University’s relationship with Aramark. Earlier this year, USC announced a partnership with Aramark to provide on-campus dining services for students.
As part of its ongoing commitment to elevate the fan experience at Gamecocks’ sporting events, USC will work with Aramark to transform the overall food and beverage program with quality, convenience and innovation. This year, the primary focus will be to expedite service, upgrade basic cooking equipment and update point-of-sale technology. Future changes include expanding menu offerings, modernizing the look and feel of existing concessions stands, and introducing new concepts.
“This is a long-term commitment between South Carolina and Aramark,” said Gamecocks Athletics Director Ray Tanner. “We want our fans to enjoy their experiences on game day in our venues. Aramark will come in and work with us in identifying areas of emphasis to help us improve game day operations. Over time, I believe our fans will notice substantial improvements in food and beverage services at all of our venues.”
“As the University of South Carolina’s athletics programs continue to excel, we are proud to partner with the University to take the game day experience to the next level with new and innovative food and beverage programs,” said Carl Mittleman, President of Aramark’s Sports and Entertainment division. “We look forward to collaborating with USC and utilizing our expertise to create memorable experiences for all fans attending Gamecocks sporting events.”
Aramark’s partnership with USC Athletics is its fifth with a SEC member institution. In addition to the more than 15 NCAA Division I Athletics Departments, Aramark delivers innovative culinary, retail and event services to 38 major league teams across professional sports. Additionally, Aramark has a long history and extensive experience managing operations for premier live events such as the NCAA Final Four, BCS Football Championship, Super Bowl, MLB, NBA and NHL All-Star Games, World Series, Stanley Cup Finals, Copa America and World Meeting of Families/Papal Visit.
SOURCE Aramark