Chicago White Sox hope to hit a home run with new ballpark menu options
CHICAGO (CBS) -- We're just one week away from the start of baseball season, and that may have you dreaming of peanuts and Cracker Jacks
But this year's offerings at Guaranteed Rate Field are guaranteed to surprise, showing how they're adjusting to changing tastes.
White Sox staff are still working on the sod and cleaning the bleachers at Guaranteed Rate Field as fans dream of a return to the stadium...
"Eating the cotton candy, the soft pretzels, the hotdogs. Got to get the Polish sausage. We all know that. We just had so many fantastic memories eating ballpark food," said Catherine Everett, Content Creator, @Two Sauced.
And that food is the reason Catherine Everett and her sister are here one week before the home opener.
"Honestly, I think that Chicago, we are here for tradition, but I am really happy to see that there are options and new additions," Everett said.
Due to fan feedback, staff are showing content creators the shifts in this year's offerings.
"We've had a huge push in the last two to three years of guests requesting more options for vegetarian, plant-based, lighter, healthier options," said Bret Donaldson, Executive Chef with Delaware North Sports Services at Guaranteed Rate Field.
They've been adding plant-based options to the menu, including the Impossible Hotdog this year, which is one of the first outlets to have it.
And they're cracking open more non-alcoholic options as customers increasingly explore sober options.
"We're seeing that very much replace the loss in an alcoholic beverage," Donaldson said.
This all comes as the White Sox contemplate a much bigger question -- whether they'll get a new stadium.
"We are at the early stages of a very long process, but we are a small part of a much larger transformative Chicago development, so we are excited to see where it goes," said Brooks Boyer, Senior VP and Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer with the Chicago White Sox.
It's a question lawmakers in Springfield said is unlikely to field many answers this season.
"Unfortunately, there's not gonna be a lot of information coming out for a while. Because, you know, you gotta work out these deals before you present them to the public. Because the second you present them to the public, you better have all your ducks in a row. And right now, I don't think that the Sports Authority can come out and save anything they are having conversations with," said Illinois Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park.)
