Looking Back at 2021, And Forward to 2022

The past year has been full of new and rewarding experiences for Craft Culinary Concepts. Check out some of the milestones the Craft team reached in 2021 below!

Contract Renewal with the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Craft has renewed our partnership with the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (ASDM) with a 5 year contract extension effective September 2021!

Our team has provided food and beverage services for ASDM guests since September 2016, partnering on such initiatives as elimination of single use plastics, local purchasing, expanded menu variety with organic and vegan options, a partnership with SeafoodWatch.org, and of course great food and service.

We have a lot of exciting things in store for the next 5 years including mobile and self-ordering kiosks, a new look for Ironwood Terraces, and exciting new menu offerings.

Craft Scores a Home Run with Perfect 10 at Cactus Yards, Awarded Outstanding Park of the Year

For the second straight year, Gilbert’s Cactus Yards has received the “Outstanding Park of the Year” Award from the Arizona Baseball Chapter of the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA). As the exclusive food and beverage partners at Cactus Yards, Craft Culinary Concepts scored a perfect 10 for food and beverage service.

The award is voted on by the coaches and players who competed during the 2020 USSSA Youth Baseball season throughout Arizona. Cactus Yards received the highest score ever in the 15-year history of the award with a perfect 10 out of 10, beating 2019’s score of 9.9. The highest rating previously of any facility in Arizona was a 7.8. This is the first time in the history of the award in which a facility has received it two consecutive years in a row.

Ben's Pretzel Trailer

Craft has featured the iconic Ben's Soft Pretzels at many of our locations. This year, we were able to take the fresh-baked amish inspired pretzels on the go in our new Ben's Pretzel Trailer! The trailer has been featured at multiple events, from MLB Spring Training at the Peoria Sports complex, to home football games at the University of Arizona, and of course home games at State Farm Stadium for the Arizona Cardinals.

Will Rogers Memorial Center Names Craft Culinary Concepts as Official Food & Beverage Provider

One more recent victory for the Craft team is the award of the official food & beverage provider contract for Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas. This will be Craft’s first awarded contract outside of the state of Arizona.

Less than three miles from Fort Worth's Downtown District, you'll find the Will Rogers Memorial Center. This 120-acre, renowned equestrian and event facility plays host to a variety of corporate, educational, agricultural and sporting events, including many international and grand-scale shows. The Memorial Center was built in 1936 and in 2016 the complex was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

From the iconic BBQ at Railhead Smokehouse to Mama Gina’s soul food, Craft has partnered with several local favorites for the WRMC. Visitors can look forward to an authentic Fort Worth dining experience without having to leave the memorial center.

Mesa Amphitheatre Reopened for First Time Post-Pandemic

The chaos of the 2020 pandemic hit before Craft could take over operations of the newly awarded contract for the Mesa Amphitheatre. This year, the Craft team was finally able to serve guests as concerts and other live events were able to take place again. With an incredible amount of support from multiple Craft locations as well as the corporate team, we were able to have a successful season!