State selects Florida firm to manage food and beverage areas at State Fair

GEDDES, N.Y. — Tampa, Fla.–based Ovations Food Services is the new operator of restaurants and catering services at the New York State Fair in Geddes.

Troy Waffner, acting director of the State Fair, made the announcement today in a news release from the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets.

The same firm provides the catering and concessions at NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse, the home of the Syracuse Chiefs minor-league baseball club, the department said in the news release.

The offices of New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and the New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman still need to approve the contract, it added.

Ovations Food Services, which operates more than 140 venues throughout the U.S. and Canada, and is affiliated with Comcast-Spectacor and Comcast NBC Universal, the state said.

The State Fair is “extremely impressed” with Ovations Food Services, its “commitment” to featuring local products on its menus, and the culinary “innovations and talents” that it will display year round, Waffner said in the news release.

“This is just the latest in a series of new features at the 2014 Fair, and we think that Ovations will be a great addition, not only over the 12-day Fair but throughout the year,” said Waffner.

The company buys and serves local products through its “Everything’s Fresh” initiative, working with local farmers, growers, and producers, according to the state.

The state provided a few examples of Ovations’ upcoming involvement at the Fairgrounds.

In the Art and Home Center, Ovations will operate the Empire Room during both the State Fair and at special events year-round, including weddings, reunions, and corporate meetings.

In the Horticulture Building, Ovations will operate a “Fresh Classics Grill,” the state said, with menu options that differ from the selections at the Center of Progress Building, where Ovations will also operate.

In addition, the firm will utilize mobile carts throughout the Fairgrounds for visitors that prefer a “grab and go” option, the state said.

The New York State Fair, which the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets runs, begins Aug. 21 and continues through Sept. 1. 

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com