There will be many “lasts” this year as the Buffalo Bills play in their final season at Highmark Stadium.
For Delaware North, it won’t just be a goodbye to the stadium. The Buffalo-headquartered hospitality and food service management company will be in its last season providing concessions for the team.
The longtime relationship for Delaware North as the food and beverage provider for the Bills will end at the season’s finale, and Legends concessions will take over once the new $2.2 billion stadium opens for the 2026 season.
Delaware North stadium food
Some of the new and highlighted food offerings from Delaware North for Buffalo Bills games at Highmark Stadium this season. Michael Petro
While in many ways it may be a season of transition, Delaware North would like to go out with a bang. And it’s not just a matter of pride.
Delaware North wants to be at its best as the company continues its relationship with the family of Bills owner Terry Pegula at the KeyBank Center, where the two sides reached an agreement on a contract extension through at least the next three seasons.
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Then there are the managers and front-line employees who will be working for future jobs within Delaware North or other companies in the industry, like Legends, which is already starting preparation for next season.
“We’ve always been driven to be successful and put our best foot forward here, and we’ll continue to do that this season,” said Zach Skinner, executive chef for Delaware North at Highmark Stadium. “We’re definitely not going to slow down, and we’ll continue to push the envelope to deliver where we can and do our best until the end of the season.”
To help in that effort, Jon DonVito, who’s helped elevate the food and beverage experience at KeyBank Center the past few seasons, has been promoted to regional vice president at Delaware North, a region which includes the Buffalo market.
Delaware North stadium food mac and cheese
The creamy mac and cheese blends four cheeses baked with pasta for the suites. Michael Petro
Additionally, Rico Ferranti, who spent eight years as the food and beverage director at Comerica Park in Detroit, was named Delaware North’s general manager at Highmark Stadium.
DonVito hopes to align the brand at both KeyBank Center and Highmark Stadium and has been working with the Delaware North team at the Orchard Park stadium the past few months to ready for the season. A new general manager at KeyBank Center will be named soon.
Delaware North’s changes will get their first test when the Bills open the season Sunday night hosting the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
“We’re really proud of the time we spent representing the Bills, and we want to just continue that throughout the season,” DonVito said. “The team here is working to make sure Sunday night is the best experience for everyone and then after that, we’ll move on to the next week and the week after that – hopefully all the way through an AFC championship game here.”
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Some might wonder what Ferranti is thinking, making the move from the Detroit area to Buffalo this year as Delaware North closes a nearly 35-year chapter with the Bills at their stadium, but he sees it as a challenge.
Ferranti said he was intrigued by the opportunity and embraced the move back into stadium operations after a five-year hiatus working in other areas of the business.
“I knew the contract is coming up at the end of the season and senior leadership wanted someone to bring some new life and energy to finish strong here because we’re still good partners with the Pegula family,” said Ferranti, who moved to Clarence in December.
Ferranti is looking to maintain the morale of workers, while keeping the energy high throughout the season.
“We’re here to work but we’re also here to have fun,” he said. “They’ve done a good job of prepping things and then I came in and tweaked some stuff. It’s a different point of view and different perspective. Sometimes you need a fresh set of eyes and I’m a detail-oriented person. It’s the little things that make a difference.”
DonVito said the company has been focused on hiring people who enjoy what they do and are committed to the job. Workers are also familiar with the company’s ongoing commitment at KeyBank Center with the Pegula-owned Buffalo Sabres and Bandits and the many other events and concerts that go on there.
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“They’re as invested in how the team performs as the fans in the stands, so for them, it doesn’t take a lot to get them excited for game days,” he said. “We’re excited because that is what the industry is all about.”
There will also be an effort to try to find jobs for food service workers, either with Delaware North or transitioning over to Legends. It creates an incentive to keep working hard so others will notice.
“We’ll make sure they’re accommodated,” DonVito said. “At some point, Legends will do their hiring and I’m sure most of these folks will have opportunities.”
This season, Delaware North will be embracing the stadium’s history, while celebrating today’s popular Bills players.
Delaware North stadium food MVP
The MVP is a grilled flank steak with jalapeno relish, caramelized onion aioli, arugula and onion rings on a ciabatta roll. It will be available in general concessions at the Miller Lite Brew Pub. Michael Petro
Available in general concessions will be the MVP grilled flank steak sandwich, celebrating quarterback Josh Allen. In the clubs will be the DawkSide, a marinated jerk chicken sandwich recognizing left tackle Dion Dawkins, and the Pork Knox, a pulled pork sandwich honoring tight end Dawson Knox.
During the season, Delaware North will also pay homage to former greats like Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and Steve Tasker with some of its offerings.
Delaware North Stadium food Battle Boat
The Battle Boat is a fan-favorite item first introduced last year that features a massive bed of waffle fries topped with half Buffalo-style ingredients and the other half as a nod to the opponent. Michael Petro
DonVito said the company wants to keep things fun and engaging, while bringing interesting food creations, like the Battle Boat, which plays off the culture of NFL cities and their favorite foods. In its second year at the stadium, it features a bed of waffle fries topped with half Buffalo-style ingredients and the other half as a culinary nod to that week’s opponent.
Among some of the other notable offerings this season introduced at Highmark Stadium on Wednesday will be the vegetarian friendly chickpea blitz served in a gluten-free wrap in general concessions and tuna poke nachos and beef tenderloin sliders in the suites.
“I’m always pushing my team to say, ‘OK, we did this great, but how can we get even better?’ And we’re always looking at what food trends are going on,” Skinner said. “We like to take what we see in magazines, social media and TikTok and try to put our own twist on that and put a Buffalo twist on it when we can.”
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