When Pirates fans enter PNC Park on Friday for the 2023 home opener against the Chicago White Sox, they’ll be able to see changes immediately: right at the entrance.
Starting this season, PNC Park is deploying Evolve Technology at all of the gates for a faster, hassle-free entry. No more taking off bags and coats: You can walk right in like normal. The AI-based weapons-detection technology, which is already used at Acrisure Stadium, cuts down on wait times without sacrificing safety.
Another change sure to make fans happy: Bags and backpacks are allowed inside, as long as they’re soft-sided and 16 by 16 by 8 inches or smaller — and they don’t have to be clear. The gate entry technology can scan both people and bags.
PNC Park is carrying the philosophy of streamlining throughout, with revamps of concessions and high-traffic areas to cut down on wait times and congestion.
Food, fast
Gone are the days of missing an entire inning waiting in line for some grub. At Pop’s Plaza at left field, people will be able to buy food with “neighborhood ordering,” which allows one ticket and check for multiple stands at the same time; no more moving to a new line and starting over. It’s also all self-checkout, taking full advantage of PNC Park’s cashless standard.
A newcomer to Pop’s Plaza, as well as sections 122 and 133, is Ballpark Burghers. Aramark teamed up with Jubilee Hilltop Ranch in Osterburgh for the beef in the stand’s burgers, including the All Star Burger, which is topped with cheese, caramelized onions and a signature sauce. Cocktails on tap are a new addition to the plaza, as well.
Keeping it open
Getting up to get food is no longer drawing the short stick of your party when it comes to missing the game, either. Thanks to the new renovations, the sightline to the field is clear from the concession stands.
“We wanted an open concept to take in the views,” said Janet Marie Smith, an international leading architect in ballpark design who has done work on Fenway Park, Camden Yards and Dodger Stadium. “It’s been an interesting challenge by [Pirates owner] Bob Nutting to keep it fresh for today’s fans.”
PNC Park added drink rails in left and right field so fans can drink and eat while watching the game before heading back to their seats. The bar by section 125 has been removed and replaced with another Walkthru Bru, where people can pick up canned beer and hard seltzers, water and soda with touchless self-checkout — all in the name of reducing the amount of time spent away from your seat and the number of people crowding the causeway.
Giving fans what they want
Two words used a lot during the “What’s New at PNC Park” media preview event Tuesday were “fan favorites,” and Brian Hediger, the general manager of PNC Park’s food service contractor Aramark, said most of the changes made to concessions have kept those two words in mind.
The Favs on Third Express self-service kiosk is a pilot concept being tested this season. It offers high-demand drinks like canned beer and water and popular hot foods such as nachos, hot dogs and soft pretzels practically on the go.
“It’s all your traditional fare at faster speeds,” Hediger said. He said data suggests this method of checkout is 2 to 2½ times faster than traditional point-of-sale systems.
People enter near the coolers, move through to the hot foods and exit by the salty snacks; it’s meant to be quick and easy. An employee will be on hand to check IDs and assist with the checkout process, but it’s all self-serve. There’s a similar market at right field with the same offerings.
“Before, people had to walk by Quaker and Primanti’s all the way down to get a hot dog. It was a lot of time and added a lot of traffic and congestion,” said Pirates President Travis Williams. Now people will be able to get what they want without traveling the length of the stadium.
Fan favorites include more than hot dogs. According to Hediger, it’s chicken tenders and fries that now reign supreme at PNC Park. To meet that demand, Federal Street Grill in center field has been replaced with the Chicken Pitt, where chicken tenders and fries will be on offer with fried cheese curds topped with sweet pickles and dill ranch. You can still get a hot dog there, though: The new Bucco Crunch Dog with a red ripper frank, onions and deli brown mustard on a potato split top is on the menu for folks with a hankering.
Hediger said Aramark has invested heavily in new and expanded equipment to meet the demand at these self-service kiosks as well as the concession stands.
“Hot food will be pretty instantaneous, with full windows even at high-traffic times — the equipment upgrades will see to that,” he said.
Food prices weren’t listed or available during the preview event. But the beer prices were posted next to the Walkthru Brus: A 16-ounce craft beer will set you back $11.65, and it only goes up from there. But the modern fan experience does now unfortunately include a hit to wallets at the bar and concessions.
On-field boosts
Even with lighter wallets, fans in the stands are sure to be pleased by big upgrades to the field. The scoreboard has been replaced for the first time since the All-Star Game in 2006. Video boards around the field and the audio and speakers have been improved to fully integrate with the new scoreboard. In the outfield, more stats-minded fans will be excited to see the return of the auxiliary scoreboard. Closed captioning has also been added to the MLB Ballpark app for greater accessibility.
The retired numbers of Pirates greats have moved back to suite level behind home plate as well, a move that Williams was proud of.
For kids and collectors
For young Pirates fans, a brand-new addition to the kids area will be the talk of the game. PNC Park teamed up with Diamond Kinetics to create Swing Match. The free activity matches your swing with a member of the Pirates offensive line through analytic technology. Diamond Kinetics debuted the concept at the All-Star Game last year in Los Angeles, but PNC Park is the first stadium to have it.
For those wanting to take home some Pirates merch, PNC Park reconfigured the satellite team store in left field. It’s shifted to self-checkout along with the concessions; the removal of the checkout kiosk made room for three to four times the amount of selection, according to Terry Walcutt, the general manager of Fanatics.
“This has allowed us to have a narrow and deep focus on what we’re offering, so it’s what people want and enough of it here,” he said.
This season’s game giveaways were also on display: Three bobbleheads, stuffed toys, hats, T-shirts designed in-house and the annual luau button-up are all in store for fans this year. The shirts drew inspiration from different eras of Pirates history, which ties into the new historical plaques and information being installed around the park.
“PNC Park is a real testament to Pittsburgh,” architect Smith said. “We really wanted to reflect that.”
Natalie Duleba is a designer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but she's currently on strike.