Opening a restaurant inside a big league ballpark is a big step for a small business.
Just ask Matthew Chavis, manager of Stuggy’s in Fells Point. The restaurant’s crab macaroni and cheese dog was a hit from the start and taking it to Camden Yards has exposed it to more customers.
“Being associated with a landmark like Camden Yards boosts brand awareness and places us in front of customers who may not otherwise encounter our business,” Chavis said over email.
The downside?
Unpredictable demand, strict stadium policies, ballpark logistics and sharing revenue with the concessionaire.
Stuggy’s is one of a handful of local eateries taking on those challenges at the stadium this season as sub-contractors to Levy’s Restaurant, the team’s official concessionaire. Also available at the ballpark are corned-beef sandwiches from Attman’s Deli, Asian-fusion cuisine from Hampden’s Ekiben, pizza from Squire’s in Dundalk, french fries from The Local Fry and burgers from Fuzzies, a food truck operator.
Daniel Doyle, the executive chef of Levy, said the stadium and team benefit from the additional range of offerings.
“It gives our fans a great experience,” he said. “We can offer the restaurants a great platform and stage.”
The Chicago-based Levy is prominent among national concessionaires that seek out local restaurants in the stadiums and arenas it manages, said Tara Fitzpatrick, editor in chief of FoodService Director magazine.
“Its kind of emerging in the field as a way to give a sense of place,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s good for local businesses as it gives them exposure.”
The restaurants say the exposure makes the revenue sharing – which trade publications say can top 40% while master concessionaire gets the remainder – worthwhile.
Stuggy’s has more than a decade in business in Baltimore — nothing to turn up one’s nose at, but also a far cry from Baltimore icon Attman’s, which is celebrating 110 years of selling sandwiches.
Jeff Myers, the director of operations for Attman’s Harborpoint shop, said the company doesn’t expect to make riches off the stadium operation. But it’s a way to remind people that Attman’s is still part of the community after more than a century in business.
“We don’t lose money on it. It’s really free advertising,” he said. “We’re just thrilled to be a part of it.”
Ekiben, an award-winning restaurant that started out selling Asian and Ethiopian cuisine at farmers markets, now has outlets at Fells Point, Hamden and South Baltimore. Employees report that customers at those sites often say they first tried the food at Camden Yards.
“People from different states and different parts of Maryland come to visit Camden Yards. When they try our food, they’ll often come to the storefront or make a visit to Baltimore and dine with us,” general manager Joseph Añonuevo said over email.
Factoria Maria Pupuseria is taking the opposite approach, said co-owner Jocelyne Polio.
The Salvadoran eatery started as a pop-up at Camden Yards during the 2023 All-Star game. It’s since opened a stand there and at other ballparks in the area where it sells its pupusas, quesadillas and chorizo dogs.
Business has gone so well it is now scouting locations for a brick-and-mortar location outside of stadiums, Polio said.
The team, she says, “Has been very supportive.”
Jon Morgan and David DiDomenico contributed to this article.
