A five-year contract with Delaware North Sportservice Inc. to take over concessions at Qualcomm Stadium was tentatively approved Wednesday by the San Diego City Council's Budget Committee.
The agreement, which requires a vote of the full City Council to take effect, includes a $6 million investment to upgrade concession areas, clubs, restaurants and kitchen equipment.
A contract for the stadium's long-standing concessionaire, Centerplate, expired in February. A committee of city executives chose Delaware North over three other bidders, including the incumbent, which city staff said was vacating the stadium premises today.
The Buffalo, New York-based concessionaire promised to keep current employees for at least 90 days, though a leader of the union Unite Here Local 30, which represents stadium workers, said there was no written agreement for what would come next.
Tim Maloney of Delaware North said he hopes the employees want to stay.
"They know the building, they know the customers, so it's in all of our best interests to make sure that we've got the best employees there that want to handle the needs of the customers — the Chargers fans and the Aztecs fans," Maloney said. "It's in all of our best interests to keep them."
The deal with Delaware North, which also provides concessions at Petco Park, would be renegotiated if the Chargers leave.
The proposal passed the committee on a 3-2 vote. Councilmen David Alvarez and Todd Gloria cast the dissenting votes after expressing concerns about details of the $6 million capital investment, the uncertainty for current employees and — for Gloria — potential impacts on plans to build a new football stadium in Mission Valley.
