The Bisons held their annual "What's New at the Ballpark" media session Thursday afternoon at Pettibones' Grille and they've increased their local food initiative they started last season. The hot dogs are going to now be Sahlen's, a Buffalo staple. Charlie The Butcher will serve roast beef on weck, Wardynski will offer Italian and chicken sausage, and Consumers Beverage (right) will increase Coca-Cola Field's craft brew offerings.
Based on what I saw today, bring your appetite for the 25th anniversary season downtown.
"Food has always been a huge part of what we've tried to do with the ballpark experience the last 24 years," said general manager Mike Buczkowski. "And I think it's natural if we're all about Buffalo that we try to incorporate the great array of foods that we have."
The team has also unveiled some new entrees for Pettibones. They include "Buffalo Jumbalaya" with chorizo and chicken, pork loin strip steak and stuffed chicken breast with spinach and provolone.
After all that, if you still fit in your clothes, the team announced today an expansion of its merchandising department that will allow more fans to purchase products with the 25th anniversary logo and the logo for the Triple-A All-Star Game (left).
The Bisons will return their Batter's Box gift shop on the third-base side but will open a second gift shop -- 50 percent larger than the original -- on the first-base side.
"When this ballpark was built, there wasn't yet the big boon of minor-league baseball merchandise,' Buczkowski said. "Having another full-service gift shop is a big change here."
The home schedule opens April 11 against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, with the season opening April 5 in Pawtucket. The team's promotional schedule, as always, is chock full of giveaways and the complete list is available at this link.
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
Photos by John Hickey/Buffalo News: Consumers Beverage VP Jim Kavanaugh with his offerings (top right) and some of the Bisons' new merchandise choices (bottom left)
