When the Barclay's Center opens in this fall, after years of construction and neighborhood grumbling, the owners hope it will feature a bevvy of local Brooklyn food vendors. In a statement released earlier today, developer Forest City Ratner revealed they've launched a survey to help them locate ideal vendors. Questions revolve around business location, revenue, Health Department grade—by the way "only vendors with an A rating will be considered for involvement/partnership within the arena—and a handful of red tape related specifics. Says chairman Bruce Ratner, "Our goal is cast a wide net to make Barclays Center's culinary experience as quintessentially Brooklyn as it gets."
The Barclay's big wigs are probably leaning more towards Junior's and Nathan's Famous than Kobucha Brooklyn and Saltie, but perhaps they've learned from the success of the Brooklyn Flea's Smorgasburg. Meanwhile, it's unclear what this means for David Burke's plan for an empire of stadium food carts.
BROOKLYN – Barclays Center is expanding its already extensive search for Brooklyn-based food service businesses to become an integral part of the arena when it opens on September 28, 2012 with a JAY Z concert.
In conjunction with the venue's majority owner and developer Forest City Ratner Companies and world-class food operator Levy Restaurants, Barclays Center is unveiling a survey today on www.BarclaysCenter.com and www.AtlanticYards.com to help identify qualified, Brooklyn-based businesses in the food service industry.
"We are committed to bringing the best of Brooklyn to Barclays Center and to draw on the borough's dynamic food scene," said Forest City Ratner Chairman and CEO Bruce Ratner. "Our goal is cast a wide net to make Barclays Center's culinary experience as quintessentially Brooklyn as it gets."
Levy Restaurants has made a commitment to work with local businesses and suppliers, and to recruit, train, and integrate community-based operators and suppliers into the Barclays Center food business.
Barclays Center will be advertising the survey in various media outlets, and also plans to reach out to Brooklyn community boards, the Downtown Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, and Community organizations. The application survey will help determine if Barclays Center will consider utilizing qualified vendors' goods and services.
The application survey will help determine if Barclays Center will consider utilizing qualified vendors' goods and services. The information collected will be kept confidential and responding to the survey's questions does not guarantee an interview. Online responses are encouraged, but written responses can be mailed to:
Levy Restaurants, 1 MetroTech Center, 23rd floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201.
Surveys must be received by March 26, 2012.
· Barclay's Center [Official Site]