Astros Announce Major Renovations to Mazda Club Level in Minute Maid Park
Renovations to also include upper deck concourse
HOUSTON, TX - The Houston Astros announced today that beginning this offseason, they will be renovating the Mazda Club Level and upper deck areas of Minute Maid Park in a continuing effort to improve the fan experience. The improvements made to both areas seek to elevate the quality of concessions and food service available in the ballpark as well as bring the game to the fans, no matter where they are.
As the official naming rights partner of the Mazda Club Level, Mazda will also continue to showcase brand new models, including the Mazda6 mid-size sedan, the Mazda3 compact sedan and five-door, and the Mazda CX-5 compact SUV on the concourse of the Mazda Club Level.
Working with the team's hospitality partner Aramark, the entire Mazda Club Level will receive a floor-to-ceiling makeover, including new flooring and paint. The food and beverage stands will be repositioned to allow fans a clear view of the field from various points on the concourse, and the general infrastructure of many of the new concession stands will be renovated to allow for fresher, higher quality food and beverage products.
What was formerly the ticket sales office on the third base side of the Mazda Club Level will become a high-end eating venue providing views from Texas Avenue to the field. In an effort to make Minute Maid Park a more family-friendly venue, the smoking areas will be consolidated to avoid close proximity to any areas designated for children, such as the Minute Maid Park Squeeze Play. Already in place on the Mazda Club Level are Virtuoso Machines, courtesy of Toshiba and Stargel, which provide an interactive experience for fans as they learn more about the Astros team, players, history and updated stats in real time.
"We are very excited to take another step in our ongoing effort to make the fan experience at Minute Maid Park one of the best in baseball," said Astros Senior Vice President of Business Operations Marcel Braithwaite. "In 2012, we completely reconstructed the Diamond Club, followed by a major renovation of the main concourse's concessions and retail locations in 2013. This next phase will bring a unified look to our ballpark as a whole and hopefully make every fan feel like he or she has the best seat in the house."
The renovations to the Mazda Club Level will begin this fall, starting on the third base side and continuing on to the first base side during the winter months. Minute Maid Park will be open and available for events during the renovation process.
Mockups and images of the Mazda Club Level renovations are available now at www.astros.com.
The Mazda Club Level is open to all Astros fans with club or suite level tickets, as well as all game ticketed Mazda drivers as a part of the Mazda Club Level "Key Access" promotion.
Renovations to portions of the ballpark's upper concourse will take place in phases, and will mirror several of the changes made to the general concessions on the main concourse last offseason. The Astros and Aramark will be overhauling the look and feel of the stands by re-branding each concept with a new name and menu, adding more vibrant signage and lighting, and introducing contemporary color schemes and décor. Other re-design elements included installing new cooking equipment, hanging new digital menu boards to make it easier to order, adding points of sale for faster service, and enhancing directional signage on the concourse to locate food stands.
Last season, premium dining at Minute Maid Park underwent a significant transformation with the creation of the Houston Astros Hospitality Group. Together, the Astros and Aramark launched Houston Astros Hospitality Group, a portfolio of world class food, beverage and service enhancements offered exclusively within Minute Maid Park. Elevating the premium dining and catering experience on game days and for non-game day special events, Houston Astros Hospitality Group features exclusive recipes from local celebrity chef, Bryan Caswell, and service experiences inspired by Houston's premier caterer, Jackson and Company.
The Houston Astros also made a major renovation to the Majestic Team Store, located behind home plate on the main concourse, last offseason by doubling the square footage of the store to over 4,000 square feet. The new space now boasts a large assortment from top vendors including Majestic, Nike, New Era, '47 Brand and Rawlings. The new space features double the number of registers to allow fans a faster check out process. The store is accessible from Texas Avenue on game days, beginning at noon. Based on guest feedback, an additional dressing room was added to allow fans the opportunity to try on their selections prior to purchase.
In addition to a full array of men's, women's and youth apparel, hats and novelties, the space also features a dedicated section for MLB Authentics merchandise, which allows fans to take a piece of the game home with them.