Local Flavors Spice Up St. Louis CITY SC Home Games

Whether you’re a lifelong fan of soccer, an enthusiastic epicure or simply an inquisitive visitor to St. Louis, you’ll want to plan your itinerary around St. Louis CITY SC’s schedule. Energizer Park, where the MLS team plays in the Downtown West neighborhood, celebrates so much more than soccer.

“You might come for a match, but you’ll be exposed to other incredible things that St. Louis has to offer,” Matt Sebek, chief experience officer of St. Louis CITY SC, says, “and you’ll begin to write a new narrative about St. Louis.”

In addition to powerful public art, carefully curated beats and clever original chants, Energizer Park boasts the most comprehensive food experience in sports. Enlisting a “flavor officer” – James Beard Award-winning chef Gerard Craft of Niche Food Group – the stadium compiled 25 local food partners for its inaugural season in 2023, and it continues to add more hometown hits season after season.

Spanning cuisines and satiating diners, the food program at Energizer Park represents the impressive quality and expansive diversity of the St. Louis culinary scene.

“St. Louis is a great food city, and we want to lean into that,” Sebek says. “Food has a natural connection to soccer, too. Like the sport, food is a universal language; it’s international and communal. You eat with family and friends – preferably while watching the game.”

Season three at Energizer Park will again feature exclusively local food partners, and guests can expect a mouthwatering variety of flavors from Bosnia, Vietnam, Italy, the Philippines, Senegal, Greece, Korea and beyond. And don’t sleep on American staples such as barbecue and hot dogs!

Rounding out its original offerings, Energizer Park has introduced new food partners, including Olive + Oak and Seoul Taco. This season, you can also sink your teeth into a roast pork panini from Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions, savor a crispy chicken sandwich from Chicken Scratch, indulge in sweet and savory pastries from Damn Fine Hand Pies and feast on four-bone ribs from Pappy’s Smokehouse. Other vendor highlights – both new and old – include Anthonino’s Taverna, Balkan Treat Box, Donut Drive-In, Olio, Pastaria and Steve’s Hot Dogs.

“The food program has been an overwhelming success since the beginning,” Sebek says. “While most soccer stadiums do the majority of their sales at halftime, [Energizer Park] did 65 percent of its sales before the first whistle [last year]. Fans are showing up early to have dinner, which just isn’t the case at sports venues.

“Building on the momentum, we want to give guests even more options when they come to the stadium in [2025],” he continues. “We want to accommodate more dietary restrictions with allergy friendly dishes and offer more meals for families with kids.”

Technology also elevates the dining experience at Energizer Park. Mobile ordering and pickup windows streamline the process, reducing waste, improving efficiency and increasing productivity. “While most stadiums have less than one percent of orders come through mobile, [Energizer Park] has more than 20 percent,” Sebek explains. “That’s an incredible percentage!”

When it comes to unique culinary experiences, Energizer Park has eclipsed the best stadiums – and even some of the best food halls – in the nation, making it a top destination for food fanatics and soccer fans alike.