Mountaineer Concessions excites fans with new, sustainable-minded menus

BOONE, N.C. — This season, Appalachian State University football fans experienced new concessions menus specifically crafted to highlight Food Services and the Office of Sustainability’s mission toward a zero waste stadium.

Menu-specific considerations by Food Services’ chefs included the packaging that food products are delivered in, as well as the materials and utensils fans use to enjoy their food.

As the newest addition to Appalachian Food Services’ operations, Mountaineer Concessions now serves game day traditions, trendy street foods and highlights community partnerships.

Executive chef Jules Bott and executive catering chef Tony Bates prepared new menu items such as smoked brisket nachos — where smoked brisket is placed over a bed of tortilla chips and covered in sautéed peppers and onions, along with tomatoes, jalapenos, scallions, nacho cheese and Southern-style BBQ mustard sauce.

“BBQ is a Southern tradition,” Bates said. “We took a specialty dish we know students and faculty love and turned it into a fun street fare concept that is easy to eat while you are in the stands cheering for the Mountaineers.”

Mountaineer Concessions also offers classic concessions fare, including hot pretzels, sausage with peppers and onions, and popcorn — a fan favorite.

“Most of our menu items are finger foods,” Bates said. “These cut down on the single-use waste, and help keep things simple for fans when they sort their trash into recycling and compost after enjoying their snack.”

Continuing with their commitment to sustainability, Food Services also chose to highlight local restaurants and businesses by expanding food truck offerings.

This season, fans enjoyed favorites such as The Farmer’s Wife Fried Pies and Woodlands BBQ, along with new community staples such as The Cardinal, J&J’s Hawaiian Ice, Appalachia Cookie Co., Captain Jim’s Seafood and Higher Grounds.

“Our mission for Mountaineer Concessions is to complement the electric atmosphere at Kidd Brewer Stadium on game day with excellent food and refreshments that will add to the game day experience,” said Pam Cline, director of Food Services. “And, we want to give our fans all of that while advancing our goals and values as a department and university.”

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About Campus Dining

Campus Dining is owned and operated by Appalachian State University and offers dining services tailored to the campus community’s specific needs. With three dining facilities and daily catering events, Campus Dining provides opportunities for nourishment and also building and fostering relationships over shared meals and experiences. Campus Dining is committed to serving the Appalachian Community using sustainable practices such as local sourcing and contributing to campus composting and a constantly evolving partnership with the Office of Sustainability. Learn more at https://dining.appstate.edu.

About Sustainability at Appalachian

Appalachian State University’s leadership in sustainability is known nationally. The university’s holistic, three-branched approach considers sustainability economically, environmentally and equitably in relationship to the planet’s co-inhabitants. The university is an active steward of the state’s interconnected financial, cultural and natural resources and challenges students and others think critically and creatively about sustainability and what it means from the smallest individual action to the most broad-based applications. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate academic degree programs that focus on sustainability. In addition, 100 percent of Appalachian’s academic departments offer at least one sustainability course or course that includes sustainability, and all students graduate from programs that have adopted at least one sustainability learning outcome. Learn more at https://appstate.edu/sustainability.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.

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