Sacramento Kings’ Golden 1 Center Has Launched ‘Meatless Mondays,’ an NBA First

Courtesy of Food & Wine

Despite “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” namechecking peanuts and Cracker Jacks, America’s most ubiquitous sporting event foods tend to be of the meat variety — easily handheld items like hot dogs and chicken fingers. But in an effort to appeal to fans’ modern sensibilities, plenty of sports venues have significantly upgraded their culinary choices in recent years. Yes, sometimes that means simply piling more meat onto an even larger hotdog, but it can also mean more diverse choices — including more vegetarian options.

Along those lines, this week, the Golden 1 Center — home to the NBA’s Sacramento Kings — announced it would be pushing its vegetarian agenda even further in 2019 with the addition of “Meatless Mondays,” making the Kings the first NBA team (and possibly the first sports franchise) to launch a Meatless Monday program intending to bring new vegetarian entrees to fans on a regular basis.

“From the very beginning, Golden 1 Center’s food program was created with sustainability in mind,” Sacramento Kings Chief Operating Office Matina Kolokotronis said of the arena which opened in 2016. “We are excited to continue building our diverse menu by incorporating new meatless options for guests to enjoy at Kings games, concerts and events throughout the year as research has shown dietary choices that incorporate plant-based alternatives have a significant positive impact on our environment.”

The Kings’ first Meatless Monday kicked off on January 14 with El Pastor Tofu Tacos. A spokesperson said that upcoming entrees will include Brussel Sprout Nachos and Tempura Calilini with a Sriracha Aioli.

Just to clarify, the Golden 1 Center will continue to serve meat during Monday night events. In fact, all of the preexisting food choices will stay the same, including the vegetarian options already offered elsewhere in the arena. Instead, these Meatless Mondays will simply guarantee that fans will have a new, handcrafted meat-free option from Executive Chef Brien Kuznicki and his team every Monday. These special items will be available exclusively at The Flavor Lab Cart at Section 109 throughout the year. Read More
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