FC Cincinnati’s home opener is this Saturday at TQL Stadium, and the team has a new kit and plenty of new food for fans to enjoy.
This year, the team based their newest jerseys and menu on a ‘Seven Hills’ concept, paying tribute to the history of Cincinnati.
“It was important for us to capture an important part of the Queen City’s legacy,” said Jeff Berding, FC Cincinnati president and co-CEO. “[Cincinnati] being the city of Seven Hills is more than just geography or a scenic landscape, it really is a big part of the cultural and historic growth of the city.”
The jerseys feature a zig-zag line pattern, with seven “elevations” in the line as a nod to the city’s famous seven hills—Mount Adams, Mount Auburn, Walnut Hills, Vine Street Hill, College Hill, Fairmount and Price Hill.
The new food, meanwhile, brings in several of the Queen City’s culinary traditions. Obvious Cincinnati nods like goetta sliders sit alongside collaborations from some of the city’s finest purveyors of food and drink, like loaded tots from Alfio’s Buon Cibo, a jerk chicken bowl from Jay’s Nyam and Jam, and special brews from Rhinegeist and MadTree.
“With the menu this year, we really wanted to bring it back to Cincinnati,” said Executive Chef Sheldon Morgan. “In honor of the Seven Hills kit, we wanted to get a real feel for Cincinnati’s food scene… we got Gomez, Jay’s, Alfio’s, Chino’s, Skyline, LaRosa’s. It wouldn’t be Cincinnati without those guys.”
Another focus for this year’s menu was smaller items that are easier to eat in the stands so that fans don’t miss any of the game because they’re focused on whatever dish is on their lap.
“[We] especially wanted to do something that was easy to carry, because we know you gotta be in the stands cheering on the lads,” Morgan said, “something you can run and grab really quick and run back out to your seat so you’re not missing any action.”
Other new additions to concession stands this season include KBBQ fried chicken wings, buffalo chicken nachos, pulled pork poppers and Morgan’s personal favorite new item: the Olimpico burger, which features two beef patties, smoked pimento cheese, bacon and a pretzel bun.
As far as drinks go, MadTree, Rhinegeist and Taft’s will all have special brews available at TQL Stadium, alongside new cocktails like a ginger pear highball. Another major addition for this year is that Peroni and Modelo Especial (two beer mainstays in the football world) will finally be available at the stadium for fans to enjoy.
In addition, every concession stand will have some sort of vegetarian or vegan option and every beer stand will have non-alcoholic options.
“Our fans are at the center of everything we do, and this season is no different,” Berding said. “From innovative food and drink offerings to our ‘must have’ merchandise, we want every matchday to feel special and build excitement for every fan in the building. Let’s get ready for another unforgettable season together.”