Ovations Food Services named as concessionaire at new San Jose Earthquakes stadium

The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that they have signed a partnership with Ovations Food Services to be the concessionaires at the club's new stadium. The jewel on Coleman Avenue will now be festooned with a dizzying array of food and drink options, courtesy of the Philadelphia-based company.

"We are proud to announce our partnership with Ovations," said Earthquakes President Dave Kaval in a club statement. "Serving fresh, high quality food was extremely important to us as we move into our stadium and they are an ideal partner for our new venue. They have proven to be innovators in the food service industry and together we look forward to providing a fresh approach to stadium concessions."

(Editor's note: Our sources in the Philadelphia Union pressbox at PPL Park, another facility serviced by Ovations, says the food is excellent and a significant upgrade over the offerings at Buck Shaw Stadium.)

Last week, Earthquakes season ticket holders were invited to submit a survey regarding their preferences for some of the offerings that will be available at the new stadium. One half of the survey focused on vegetarian and classic meaty fare, while the other was more centered on beer selection.

The new Earthquakes stadium is set to feature the largest outdoor bar in North America, according to the club's website, as part of the scoreboard complex in the open-end Epicenter fanzone. That bar will feature a limited number of beers on tap, so the club has also planned for a "Beers of the World" beverage dispensary underneath the closed end of the stadium that will serve over 40 beers on tap.

As part of the survey, fans are encouraged to list their favorite beer selections -- and these are not your run of the mill stadium offerings. 21st Amendment, Drake's Brewing, Bear Republic, Lagunitas, Stone Brewing -- even Russian River's Pliny the Elder (and Younger) made the list. Whether or not the team does well on the field, the fans are sure to feel just fine sitting in their seats.

An important component to the beer survey is the opportunity to add in three "write-in" candidates. Heralded selections from local microbreweries should certainly be mentioned, chief among them the offerings from the new Quakes Brewing. With Bay Area brewers making some of the best beer in the world, what better than to bring aboard a beer crafted with Earthquakes fans in mind.

Back to Ovations, while the concessions menu will include a variety of food options, including traditional stadium fare as well as innovative items that represent the local food culture, the stadium will still feature a wide variety of gourmet food trucks that will be located in the Epicenter Fan Zone. Need your Curry Up Now prior to the game? The Quakes will have you covered.