ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — There's no more cash.
No more upper deck.
- Edamame, protein bowls, and coconut shrimp join the ballpark menu
- Rays have closed upper desk, won't take cash for concessions
- MORE: Rays posed to build on last season's success
But if you head to a Tampa Bay Ray's game this season, expect to find a lot of different food choices.
Over the past 2 years, $15 million has been pumped into renovations at Tropicana Field. They include new LED lights, turf, and a full service restaurant.
The Rays have introduced many new, local partners into their food selection this year. St. Petersburg favorites like Pacific Counter, Beachside, and Sweet Stack Shack will be selling food items like edamame, protein bowls, and coconut shrimp in order to mix up the typical baseball park food choices. Items like loaded pulled pork nachos, ribs, and ropa vieja bowls will also be offered new this year.
Tropicana Field will also be the first major league stadium to go cashless. Major credit cards are accepted at all food and souvenir vendors.
The 300-level upper deck is now closed, reducing the number of seats available to 25,025. The team hopes that it will create a more intimate and fun experience for fans. An average game brings in roughly 16,000.
"It is often at lower than capacity and so there's an opportunity to go ahead and close that for some operational savings but at the same time make everyone closer together," explained Bill Walsh, with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The new full service restaurant, and upstairs tailgating area, will be open 4 hours before first-pitch. The rest of the stadium opens 90 minutes ahead.