Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Select Appetize to Power Payments at New $52 Million Stadium
Atrium Health Ballpark integrated Appetize’s cloud-based solution to transition into a cashless stadium for its inaugural season.
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Appetize, a leading digital and mobile commerce platform, has been selected by Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis, North Carolina, to power all concessions as part of its new $52 million stadium. Guests attending games at the recently rebranded, 4,930-seat Minor League Baseball ballpark — home to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers — will place orders and pay through Appetize’s contactless, omnichannel platform for a fully cashless inaugural season. As more live events reopen, Appetize is enabling safer and more convenient transactions for both fans and venue staff.
“Appetize offers a technological advantage over the competition, resulting in faster service times for our fans and the ability to convert Atrium Health Ballpark into a cashless facility to help slow the spread of Covid-19,” says Scotty Brown, operating partner of Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. “Appetize’s user-friendly design makes it easy to train new staff and allow our fans to ‘Have a Blast!’ while visiting.”
Appetize’s full suite of cloud-enabled omnichannel solutions have been rolled out at the venue including point of sale solutions—which offer tap or scan payment options, such as Apple and Google Pay—as well as self-service kiosks, handhelds, and kitchen display systems, all proven to improve speed, efficiency, and convenience.
While Atrium Health Ballpark was slated to debut in April 2020 as the new home of the Chicago White Sox Low-A farm team, Covid-19 forced the cancellation of the 2020 season. The team pivoted to the venue’s dual purpose as a downtown City of Kannapolis park, welcoming residents and visitors to enjoy the outdoor areas of the facility in May 2020. To attract more people, the team opened the 3rd base concession stand—named Boomer’s Bistro after the team mascot—utilizing Appetize’s ordering kiosks to comply with CDC guidelines and to encourage social distancing. During the normal baseball off-season in the fall and winter, they converted the premium Kinetic Club into a restaurant.
Six hundred days after the team’s last home game, the Cannon Ballers finally opened the stadium gates for professional baseball on May 4, 2021 to a limited-capacity, sellout crowd. Opening night featured the first of 60 scheduled home games.
“We’re excited to partner with Kannapolis Cannon Ballers and help them welcome fans to the new Atrium Health Ballpark,” says Wayne Scarsella, EVP of Sports and Entertainment at Appetize. “Both fans and staff love the new state-of-the-art facility as well as the upgraded, cashless ordering experience at concessions and premium hospitality areas. Appetize has now enabled contactless payment at 27 Minor League Baseball stadiums this season, and we’re incredibly proud to add another popular ballpark to the Appetize family.”
Driving the improved guest experiences at Atrium Health Ballpark is Appetize’s next generation cloud technology, including its signature Activate software, which allows devices to switch seamlessly among stores, revenue centers, and service modes, as well as the Appetize Developer Center, the API-driven platform for stored value, inventory and ticketing. Management and staff have access to Connect, a web-based management portal designed to power multi-site operations, giving Truist Field a real time management, reporting, and analytics platform that can be accessed anywhere, anytime.
Appetize’s integration comes at a time of increased demand for contactless payments and mobile ordering at venues across the U.S. As more venues focus on safety and convenience for staff and customers, they’re upgrading their point of sale with digital cloud solutions to optimize on-premise experiences.
About Appetize
Launched in 2011, Appetize powers food, beverage, and retail transactions for the world’s highest volume businesses—including sports and entertainment venues, theme parks, multi-unit restaurants, education campuses, and travel and leisure companies—through its advanced, fully cloud-based solutions.
Specializing in contactless payments, mobile ordering, and menu management, Appetize’s enterprise commerce platform includes point of sale terminals, self-service kiosks, handheld devices, online ordering, mobile web, and API integrations, as well as powerful management tools to control operations.
About Atrium Health Ballpark
The $52 million Atrium Health Ballpark opened May 2020 in the heart of the newly revitalized downtown Kannapolis in North Carolina, formerly the site of the world’s largest textile plant called Fieldcrest Cannon Mills. The 4,930-seat, state-of-the-art facility offers the option of traditional fixed seats, family picnic areas, loge boxes and an elevated Sky Lounge for unobstructed views of the baseball diamond. The ballpark also features eight suites and the Kinetic Club, a 5,600-square foot banquet space, which will be used on game days for hospitality and on non-game days as a rental space. There is also a Kids Zone with a massive play structure and a splash pad plus a walking track.
The ballpark operates as a public park for the local community on non-game days. For more information, visit KCBallers.com.
For more information regarding Appetize, please contact Jimmy Im at Appetize.
jimmy.im@appetize.com
Contacts
Media Contact:
Jimmy Im
310-560-9047
jimmy.im@appetize.com