BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — As the puck drops on a new Sabres season, the team and Delaware North unveiled a host of new food and drink items that fans can enjoy at KeyBank Center. The items were unveiled on Tuesday.
The items that top this year’s menu include a two-foot-long loaded nachos dish as well as a “Prime on Weck” sandwich, which is prime rib topped with horseradish on a roll.
There is also the hat trick footlong, a hot dog topped with housemade Coney sauce, nacho cheese and jalapeno peppers. Most of the hot dogs will be footlongs this season and there will be a “specialty hot dog” that rotates each game with a theme based on the opposing team.
For dessert, the team is offering new milkshakes, including a churro milkshake and a cookies and cream milkshake. The offerings will rotate throughout the season.
To drink, a number of new alcoholic beverages are being offered. That includes the “716 Spritz,” which is New Amsterdam vodka with cranberry juice, loganberry syrup, lemon juice and LaMarca Prosecco. The “Barstool Fusion” is also a new addition, with Pink Whitney, grape juice and a ginger ale transfusion mix. The “Sabres Margarita” is also new.
Chefs with both the Sabres and Delaware North says that they heard what fans wanted in the arena and that this is to make the in-arena experience better. They had 31 tastings for employees throughout the summer in preparation for Thursday night’s season opener.
“We heard the complaints, we heard the observations and we leaned into those corrections,” said Mike Buonopane, the executive chef at KeyBank Center. “We did this for [the fans], we are trying to give you what you are asking for and we’re trying to make this food available everywhere. It’s in the 100s, it’s in the 300s, it’s available.”
“This isn’t the end. This is us starting,” Buonopane added. “If three months from now the nachos on the bench aren’t working, we’ll go back to the drawing board. That’s been a talking point for us.”
There are also some new technology upgrades. 35 self-checkout kiosks are available throughout the arena and there are touchless checkouts in several locations. Mobile in-seat ordering will be available in the 200 level during Sabres games by utilizing a QR code from your seat to place your order.
All in all, the Sabres and their team are hoping that this will lead to fans having a better time at games this season, starting later this week.
“Make sure you show up with an empty stomach, so that when you leave you’re leaving with a full stomach,” said Stephen Forman, at executive regional chef for Delaware North. “I think people who come to the Sabres games this year here at the arena should expect a lot of new things.”
Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here.