Fine Host Corp. Inks Five-Year Deal At Aksarben Coliseum/Events Centre

Fine Host Corp. will be the new food and beverage concessionaire at Aksarben Coliseum/Events Centre in Omaha, Neb., effective Aug. 1.

Larry Gawronski told AB he signed the contract May 19. The deal is for five years and gives Fine Host exclusivity at Aksarben, with the exception of a few minor events that were "grandfathered" into the contract, Gawronski said.

Concessions at the Aksarben facilities, which accommodated thoroughbred horse racing until 1995, had been handled by Brandeis Food Management of Omaha since the facility opened in the early 1960s.

"Our previous vendor had done a superb job, but they had only been able to take us to one certain level," noted Gawronski. "With our racing facility being renovated into a convention, meeting and banquet facility, we needed a firm to take us to the next level, and Fine Host not only met but exceeded our criteria."

Requests for proposals went out last fall to four companies, three of which submitted bids. The deal with Fine Host calls for some $600,000 in capital investment, mostly toward equipment for catering purposes, Gawronski said. "They will also totally re-do all of our concessions stands," he said.

"I've known Larry for a long time, and I'm looking forward to working with him," said Randy Ziegler, recreation group president for Fine Host. "We think the building has a lot of potential, particularly with Larry's background. He should be able to book the building to its maximum potential."

The Aksarben Coliseum seats 8,000 for concerts and 6,124 for hockey and ice shows. The building is the home of the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League, a Junior A development league that has 30 home games annually.

The Event Centre portion of the facility is actually a "conglomeration" of several buildings that were previously part of the horse racing concourse when Aksarben hosted racing.

Gawronski said eventually branded foods could be offered at Aksarben. "We have incorporated into the agreement the possibility for branded or local items that make sense here," he said. "We are extremely excited to be working with what I feel is the industry leader in convention and leisure food services."

According to Gawronski, Mike Mani, formerly of the Anaheim (Calif.) Convention Center, would be named on-site general manager for Fine Host at Aksarben. David Sloma and Chris Verros are regional vice presidents for the area and will be involved in getting the Aksarben contract off the ground, Ziegler said. "Both David and Chris are active in the planning procedures right now, and we're anxious to get going," he added. "Geographically this building fits nicely into our current operations. We have contracts in Des Moine and Sioux City, Iowa, as well as other locations out there."