How 215,000 Meals Are Made For Super Bowl LIV

Summary

Chef Dayanny De La Cruz, or Chef D, leads a team of 3,000 culinary professionals to feed over 215,000 fans, players, and performers at America's biggest sporting event in Miami. With an adrenaline-fueled rush, they prepare complex dishes and stadium favorites, managing a massive operation that includes 50% more staff for Super Bowl Sunday. The team starts planning years in advance, ensuring a seamless food experience across the Hard Rock Stadium and Miami Beach Convention Center, serving millions of dollars' worth of meals in just one week.

Takeaways

• 🎉 Over 215,000 people are expected to attend America's biggest sporting event in Miami.
• 🍽️ Dayanny De La Cruz, also known as Chef D, is the executive chef responsible for feeding everyone at the Super Bowl.
• 👨‍🍳 Chef D leads a team of 3,000 culinary professionals working tirelessly to prepare for the event.
• 🥘 The culinary team prepares a variety of dishes, from stadium nachos to complex meals like porchetta and seafood paella.
• 🏟️ The Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, along with caterer Centerplate, is gearing up for the massive scale of Super Bowl 54.
• 📈 For Super Bowl Sunday, 50% more staff is brought in, including additional chefs, dishwashers, and inventory staff.
• 🍲 Besides the game, the team is also responsible for feeding attendees at press events, executive dinners, and the Miami Beach Convention Center.
• 💰 Centerplate anticipates millions of dollars in sales for the Super Bowl, highlighting the economic impact of the event.
• 📆 Planning for the Super Bowl's culinary needs began nearly four years in advance.
• 🚚 On game day, the culinary team receives and manages incoming produce, utilizing multiple kitchens and even outsourcing to local vendors.
• ⏱️ The goal is to serve food quickly, aiming to keep the wait time at concession stands to just 45 seconds.
• 🍪 Local vendors are hired to help with the massive demand, such as a bakery producing thousands of cookies for the event.

Q & A

What is the expected number of people attending America's biggest sporting event in Miami?

More than 215,000 people are expected to attend the event.

Who is Dayanny De La Cruz, and what is her role in the event?

Dayanny De La Cruz, also known as Chef D, is the executive chef of the Super Bowl, responsible for feeding everyone from fans to players and performers.

How many culinary professionals does Chef D oversee during the Super Bowl?

Chef D runs an army of 3,000 culinary professionals.

What types of dishes are prepared for the Super Bowl, besides the typical stadium food?

Besides typical stadium food, complex dishes like porchetta and seafood paella are also prepared.

What is the significance of the Hard Rock Stadium in the context of Super Bowl 54?

Miami's Hard Rock Stadium is hosting Super Bowl 54 and is known for handling large events, with preparations taken up a notch for this particular Super Bowl.

How many additional staff members were brought in for Super Bowl Sunday?

50% more staff was brought in for Super Bowl Sunday, including various roles such as dishwashers, line cooks, inventory staff, and chefs.

Besides the stadium, where else are the chefs responsible for feeding people during the Super Bowl week?

In addition to the stadium, the chefs are also responsible for feeding people at press events, NFL executive dinners, and the fan experience at Miami Beach Convention Center.

What is the estimated number of fans inside the stadium and the additional people to be fed outside the stadium during the Super Bowl week?

There are 65,000 fans in the stadium, and an extra 150,000 people are to be fed outside the stadium during the week.

How far in advance did the culinary team begin planning for the Super Bowl event?

The culinary team began planning for the event nearly four years prior to the Super Bowl.

What is the main challenge faced by the culinary team in terms of food preparation for the Super Bowl?

The main challenge is the massive scale of food preparation, with the need to manage large quantities of ingredients and the complexity of cooking for such a large number of people.

How does the stadium manage the logistics of delivering food to concession stands and suites during the Super Bowl?

Food is rushed down the stadium's secret highway under the stands to the concession stands and suites. Additional mobile kitchens are brought in, and local vendors are hired to help with the massive food production.

Outlines

00:00

🍽️ Feeding the Super Bowl Crowd

The script introduces Dayanny De La Cruz, also known as Chef D, who is the executive chef for the Super Bowl. She is responsible for feeding over 215,000 people, including fans, players, and performers. Chef D leads a team of 3,000 culinary professionals who prepare a variety of dishes, from stadium snacks to complex meals like porchetta and seafood paella. The challenge is to serve these meals within the vast Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, which is the size of a football field. The team's preparation involves meticulous planning that began four years prior to the event, with a significant increase in staff for Super Bowl Sunday, including additional chefs and inventory staff. The catering team also caters to press events, executive dinners, and the fan experience at the Miami Beach Convention Center, totaling to feeding an extra 150,000 people in a week. Despite the immense scale, Chef D emphasizes the systematic approach to managing the culinary operations during the event.

05:00

🍰 Scaling Up for Super Bowl Sunday

This paragraph delves into the logistics of preparing for Super Bowl Sunday, where the culinary team must produce 400 different menu items. Chef D highlights the potential challenges, such as the breakdown of a single oven causing a domino effect that could disrupt the entire operation. The scale of the event is immense, with the team receiving and processing quantities of food far exceeding a regular restaurant's needs, such as 3,000 cases of lobster tails instead of the usual two. Chef D has enlisted the help of 40 local vendors to assist with the production of desserts, including a bakery that is responsible for making 9,000 cookies, with an additional 2,500 ordered at the last minute. The founder of Pastry Is Art, Jenny Rissone, describes the bakery's efforts to meet these demands, working around the clock with multiple shifts and renting extra refrigeration. The narrative concludes with Chef D reflecting on the personal pride and satisfaction of being part of such a large-scale event, encouraging her team to take a moment to appreciate their collective achievement on game day.

Keywords

💡Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League (NFL) in the United States, often considered the biggest sporting event in America. In the context of the video, it represents the central event for which the catering and food preparation are being discussed, highlighting the massive scale of the operation required to feed attendees, players, and performers.

💡Dayanny De La Cruz

Dayanny De La Cruz, also known as Chef D, is the executive chef responsible for overseeing the food service at the Super Bowl. She leads a team of culinary professionals and is central to the video's narrative, illustrating the leadership and coordination required for such a large-scale event.

💡Centerplate

Centerplate is the catering company responsible for providing food and beverage services at the Super Bowl. They are experienced in handling large events but face unique challenges in scaling up their operations for the Super Bowl, as depicted in the video.

💡Culinary Professionals

Culinary professionals in the video refer to the skilled chefs and kitchen staff who work under Chef D to prepare and serve food at the Super Bowl. Their expertise and teamwork are crucial to meeting the high demand for quality food during the event.

💡Porchetta

Porchetta is a specific type of dish mentioned in the video, which is an Italian roasted pork prepared by rolling a pork loin with other cuts and seasonings. It exemplifies the variety and complexity of the dishes being prepared for the Super Bowl, beyond typical stadium fare.

💡Seafood Paella

Seafood Paella is another complex dish highlighted in the video, a Spanish rice dish cooked with various types of seafood. Its mention underscores the diverse culinary offerings and the level of sophistication in the food preparation for the Super Bowl.

💡Adrenaline Rush

The term 'adrenaline rush' is used by Chef D to describe the intense, high-pressure environment of preparing for the Super Bowl. It conveys the excitement and stress that comes with managing such a large-scale catering operation.

💡Inventory Staff

Inventory staff are responsible for managing the incoming goods and ensuring that the kitchen is stocked with all necessary ingredients. Their role is critical in the logistical aspect of preparing for the Super Bowl, as depicted in the video with the massive quantities of food items being handled.

💡Concession Stands

Concession stands are the retail outlets within the stadium where fans can purchase food and beverages. The video emphasizes the challenge of keeping these stands stocked and the efficiency required to serve thousands of fans in a short time.

💡Mobile Kitchens

Mobile kitchens are temporary, portable cooking facilities brought in to supplement the stadium's main kitchens during the Super Bowl. They are indicative of the scale of food preparation and the need for additional capacity to handle the event's demands.

💡Highway Under the Stands

The 'highway under the stands' refers to the internal transportation system used to move food quickly and efficiently throughout the stadium. It is a key logistical component that ensures food can be delivered to various locations during the rush of the event.

💡Domino Effect

The 'domino effect' is a metaphor used by Chef D to describe how a single point of failure, like a broken oven, can impact the entire operation. It illustrates the interconnectedness and fragility of the complex systems in place for the Super Bowl's catering.

Highlights

Over 215,000 people are expected at Miami for America's biggest sporting event, the Super Bowl.

Chef D, the executive chef, is responsible for feeding everyone from fans to players and performers.

A team of 3,000 culinary professionals works tirelessly to prepare for the big game.

The culinary team serves not just stadium nachos but also complex dishes like porchetta and seafood paella.

The operation is timed to deliver meals across a stadium the size of a football field.

Chef D describes the experience as an adrenaline rush akin to going to war.

Miami's Hard Rock Stadium and caterer Centerplate are gearing up for Super Bowl 54 with increased staff and resources.

50% more staff, including 35 chefs from North America, were brought in for Super Bowl Sunday.

Chefs are responsible for feeding an additional 150,000 people at events outside the stadium.

Centerplate expects millions of dollars in sales for the Super Bowl.

Planning for the Super Bowl culinary operation began nearly four years in advance.

The 24 hours before the Super Bowl are crucial, with a well-organized system in place.

Three extra mobile kitchens and local vendors are utilized to handle the massive food preparation.

The goal is to keep the time between ordering and receiving food in stands to just 45 seconds.

Chefs prepare 10,000 hot dogs and 400 different menu items for Super Bowl Sunday.

The stadium's secret highway under the stands is used for rushing food to concession stands.

Chef D emphasizes the importance of managing expectations and adjusting to the demand.

For the first time, Chef D is overseeing the Super Bowl culinary operation, a significant responsibility.

Local vendors are hired to produce a vast array of desserts, including 9,000 cookies.

Chef D encourages the team to find a moment on game day to appreciate their hard work and achievement.

Transcripts

More than 215,000 people are expected

to flock to Miami for America's biggest sporting event.

And all of those fans come with big appetites.

Dayanny De La Cruz: We do two things here:

We play, and we eat.

Narrator: That's Dayanny De La Cruz, or Chef D,

the executive chef of the Super Bowl.

She's in charge of feeding everyone,

from the fans to the players and performers.

She runs an army of 3,000 culinary professionals,

hustling day and night leading up to the big game.

But they're not just serving up stadium nachos.

They're also whipping up complex dishes

like porchetta and seafood paella.

And they're doing it all against the clock,

delivering meals across a stadium

the size of, well, a football field.

De La Cruz: We are living in this amazing adrenaline rush.

And it's like a bomb just

blown in the middle of the kitchen.

It feels like we all go to war.

We all fight our own battles.

And at the end of the run, we come back

and we tell the stories about how they made it.

Narrator: So how do they feed all

of football's biggest fans?

This year, Miami's Hard Rock Stadium

is hosting the big game.

The stadium and its caterer, Centerplate,

are no stranger to big events.

But for Super Bowl 54, things are taken up a notch.

De La Cruz: We are doubling the building and everything

that we're doing so far.

Narrator: 50% more staff was brought in

just for Super Bowl Sunday,

including dishwashers, line cooks,

inventory staff, and 35 chefs,

flown in from all over North America.

But the staff has to think beyond the game.

There are also press events, NFL executive dinners,

and the fan experience at Miami Beach Convention Center.

Which means on top of the 65,000 fans

squeezing into the stadium,

the chefs are responsible for feeding an extra

150,000 people in just one week.

While it wouldn't share an exact number,

Centerplate does expect millions of dollars

in sales for the Super Bowl alone.

To get it all done, the culinary team began planning

for this event nearly four years ago.

But it all comes down to the 24 hours before the Super Bowl.

De La Cruz: There is a system to the madness.

I know people don't believe that, but there is.

There is something behind it.

So, this is how we work Super Bowl.

Everything is in order.

We kinda have a system.

We have orders.

We have labels.

Narrator: Inventory staff receives all incoming produce

starting 36 hours before game day.

It's hustled into storage

or divided into kitchen fridges.

Chefs typically do most of the cooking

from seven kitchens in the stadium.

But for Super Bowl Sunday,

they had to wheel in three extra mobile kitchens

and outsource cooking to local vendors

in the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Main kitchens crank out food for lounges,

suites, and concession stands.

And in those stands, the staff aims to keep the time

between ordering your food and getting it in your hand

at 45 seconds.

Narrator: Kitchens are divided up into

cold and hot sections.

In the cold kitchen, they're throwing together dishes

like wedge salads and ceviche.

In hot, they're frying up heaps of plantains

and chicken wings.

Chefs line up rows of turkey sandwiches,

labor over vats of lamb curry,

and dish out gallons and gallons of baked beans

for the suites.

Here they'll be cooking 10,000 hot dogs alone.

Spruill: A little bit weary.

Tons of fun, though.

I'm a football fan, so, go 49ers! [laughs]

Narrator: Once cooked, all the food is rushed

down the stadium's secret highway under the stands.

De La Cruz: Sorry, I walk fast.

Tell me if you want me to slow down.

We call this the belly of the beast.

We are walking through what we call our area

when it comes to food and beverage.

I'm having a coffee macaron

so I can continue going. [laughs]

Anybody who walks on game day

should have between six to 11 miles.

Narrator: All this is in preparation

for the biggest food rush:

right before kickoff.

Food heads up to one of the 85 concession stands

and carts in the concourse.

While some stands have small grills to finish up cooking,

most rely on deliveries from downstairs

whenever they get close to running out.

De La Cruz: Let's just say, that doesn't happen often,

but if it does, then somebody calls the radio

and then somebody runs really fast.

Narrator: But with the stadium's massive size

and thousands of people clogging up the concourse,

deliveries can be tough.

De La Cruz: It's a big giant that moves

on its own sometimes.

Today, you might be selling all the flat-pie pizza.

Tomorrow, you might be selling all the burgers.

So it's all about readjusting and making sure

that we manage the expectation.

Narrator: Upstairs, they're handling smaller tasks

but the same amount of food.

De La Cruz: We are in what we call

the cold-side area for suites.

Out of these two kitchens, we feed about 157 suites.

Imagine 157 small restaurants.

We are in the best kitchen at Hard Rock Stadium.

[cheering]

Who is the second Super Bowl?

We got two pioneers.

Three.

Narrator: Here, they're slicing up cheese

and roasting racks on racks of mushrooms.

De La Cruz: Imagine what you see here,

and cook for 1,600 people for me.

The team cranks out 400 different menu items

on Super Bowl Sunday alone.

And if one thing breaks, well...

De La Cruz: If one oven breaks, it's like a domino effect.

Something is gonna fall behind.

So you can't take anybody for granted.

Especially in such a large operation like what we have here.

Narrator: And in this game,

the size is the biggest hurdle.

At a regular restaurant, for a regular day,

you might order just two cases of lobster tails.

De La Cruz: Instead of receiving two cases of lobster tail,

you're receiving 3,000.

We just smoked about 4,500, 4,400,

almost 5,000 pounds of pork butts.

Right now, actually, I'm bringing about 9,000 cookies.

Which is crazy. I just called my vendor,

and I say, you know, "I need more cookies."

Narrator: Luckily, Chef D can rely on others

to help make the magic happen.

She's hired 40 local vendors

to churn out everything from 4,000 popsicles

within a week

to cake pops, cookies, and Bundt cakes for the suites.

Jenny Rissone: Working 24 hours a day.

I have four shifts right now.

I have to rent extra refrigeration.

Narrator: This is the founder of Pastry Is Art,

a family-owned bakery in charge of

all the desserts for the Super Bowl.

And, yes, she did get that call for those 9,000 cookies.

Rissone: Chef D is super funny.

We plan and get organized, and then she said,

"Oh, by the way, mama, just so you know,

I may order a little bit more cookies."

I'm like: "OK, sure, no problem.

How many more?"

"I don't know, about 2,500 more."

You know, I say, "Sure, sure, no problem.

I got it, I got it."

And then when I hang up the phone, I'm like,

"Oh, my God, we have 2,500 more cookies!"

Narrator: It's Centerplate's 15th Super Bowl,

but it's Chef D's first.

De La Cruz: We are, all of us,

baring ourselves to thousands of fans out there.

I always tell everybody, on game day,

find a little moment and, you know,

look down into the bowl,

and find yourself thinking, you know,

pat yourself on the back and say, "I did that."