http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2003/02/10/story5.html More info on the deal, with interviews from some spokepeople from the companies. Also, tell me more about this pizzeria we may get....
Donato's was founded in Columbus (Gahanna actually) by Jim Grote, a great guy. It grew to probably 300 stores and is much better than Pizza Hut or that crap they serve at Dominos (let alone that sewage they sell at Papa John's) About two years ago he sold out to McDonalds, but that's kind of below the radar. McDonalds' was looking for a food franchise they could grow since they are quickly reaching the saturation point marketwise. Grote still lives in CBus and still runs the company, as well as a couple more, like JT Grote in Gahanna which makes machines that turn out frozen pizzas for other companies. (Anybody who's in Engineering, check them out - first rate company run by engineers for engineers. They make themselves happy) Donatos IMHO would be great for everybody. And a Pizzeria onsite would just be tres cool.
Ditto - Donato's is BY FAR the BEST Pizza chain. I thought they served Donato's in one of the corners a couple years ago? SW, if memory serves.
I think they sell those little Donato's pizzas all over the stadium. At least I've been able to get them at all four of the top concesion stands. As for corporate sponsorships hopefully the Crew can pull in more partners from Columbus stationed companies, like Nationwide, Wendy's, LMT, and Krogers. In fact I remember one of the ends being called the Kroger End one year, but have never came across it again. Those are big national companies that would increase Crew revenue substatially. Here's something interesting from Columbus Business Journal: Does that mean that there will be tvs with the game on in the concession stands? Smith talked about it in a Dispatch article after the 2001 season as a reason they were raising ticket prices, but come 2002 there were no tvs at the concession stands. Hopfully, this will happen.
still is kroger end. You wouldn't even need cable TV. Use the in-stadium feeds for TV and 103.9 FM. Of course, cable TV + hospitality areas = good place to watch Crew away games and other MLS/soccer games.