Orioles hope cheaper hot dogs, beer mean bigger crowds in 2025

Earlier this week, I received a question from Doug Harbach that intrigued me:

“Here’s a bit of a different question than you normally receive, Rich. I saw this post about how the football stadium in Atlanta continues to offer very fan-friendly prices on the type of food that are a staple at a ballgame. Why do you think other stadiums, including Camden Yards, have not moved to this pricing structure? I would think the concessionaire would sell a lot more food, albeit at less profit, but in the end at such dramatically increased quantities that they would make great profits AND have happy fans with their bellies full. 😀 Let’s start a movement at OPCY!”

His question intrigued me, but before I got around to it, the Orioles answered it.

This week, the team announced its Birdland Value Menu — 12 items that includes an all-beef hot dog for $4, popcorn for $3.50, peanuts for $2.50 and five brands of 12-ounce beer (Miller High Life, Blue Moon, Leininkugel’s, Stella Artois and Sierra Nevada) for $5.

The only item selling for more than $5 is Vizzy Alcoholic Seltzer for $6.

In his question, Doug had been referring to Monday night’s college National Championship between Ohio State and Notre Dame at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

That menu featured hot dogs and sodas for $2, regular domestic beer for $6, large domestic beer for $8.50, large premium draft beer for $10.50, a cheeseburger for $5 and a grilled chicken sandwich for $6.

For Orioles games, the items on the value menu will be available at 10 locations around the ballpark. Food and non-alcoholic drinks will be at value carts at Sections 31, 56 and 87 in the main concourse and Sections 334 and 372 in the upper deck.

Discounted beer will be sold at Birdland Markets 17, 49 and 80 in the main concourse and 334 and 372 in the upper deck.

The caterer for both Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Oriole Park at Camden Yards is Levy’s.

“Our fans are the heart and soul of this organization. By offering more affordable food and beverage options, we are directly reflecting our commitment to them,” said Catie Griggs, president of business operations for the Orioles in a statement earlier this week. “We want Oriole Park at Camden Yards to be a welcoming place where all fans can feel at home and have a great time. We believe these changes will greatly enhance the overall fan experience, allowing everyone to create the experience that best fits their needs.”

There’ll be many other choices for fans this season, which will be announced closer to the March 31^st home opener, and fans can still bring in their own food and beverage as long as they follow the rules.

Fans can bring in a clear plastic bag, 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches, or a 1-gallon plastic freezer bag. Food must be portioned individually and not bulk quantities and one non-alcoholic beverage in a plastic bottle no larger than 20 ounces is permitted.

It’s not cheap to go to Orioles games. According to a study earlier this month by MoneyGeek, the average cost of taking a family of four to an Orioles game is $157, eighth highest in baseball.

The Orioles point out in their release announcing the Birdland Value Menu that the cheapest tickets are $15 and the long-standing Kids Cheer Free Program allow a family of four to attend games for less than $100. Some families limit their vacations and choose to spend their leisure-time money at Orioles games.

For 2025, many ticket prices have been raised With a higher payroll, fans will pay more, but as owner David Rubenstein said  in the interview published on Friday, the Orioles won’t have a payroll approximating the Dodgers, Yankees or Mets.

I regularly walk the concourse in the lower deck before games, and I’ve eaten some of the food, particularly during rain delays. Jimmy’s Famous Sea Food,”a longtime favorite of mine, has a stand in short left field featuring its excellent crab cakes and crab cake egg rolls. Longtime favorite Boog’s Barbecue has tasty pit beef sandwiches.

In the interview, Rubenstein promises “better food” at a refurbished Camden Yards and more choices for non-meat eaters.

Last season, the Orioles drew 2,281,129, their highest since 2015, but only the 19^th highest in baseball. While they drew well on weekends, there were many empty seats for weeknight games.

“We have an amazing ballpark,” Griggs said in September. “There are a lot of seats in it. I’d like to see them filled, every single night and to do that we have to create an environment where everyone feels welcome, everyone feels appreciated, and they feel like they are seen and they want to be here, and they’re a part of this. This team’s done it before. I very much believe we can do it again. I think that’s the opportunity we have.”

The Orioles hope that cheaper food and beverage prices will help the team draw more. Another season of contending baseball will help even more.

Call for questions: I answer Orioles questions most weekdays. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com.