04/22/2009

In a proactive effort to provide quality alternatives for individuals with common food allergies and Celiac disease, Sprint Center is now serving gluten-free menu items at Oak Street Pizza and select locations on the arena concourse.

As part of the expanded, alternative menu, Sprint Center’s official concessionaire, Levy Restaurants is offering gluten-free, personal-size cheese, pepperoni or sausage pizzas, as well as a limited number of gluten-free sweets including brownies and cookies. Gluten-free beer is currently available in the Perceptive Software Founders Club.

“Creating a positive guest experience is critical to Sprint Center’s ongoing success,” said Brenda Tinnen, Sprint Center/AEG senior vice president and general manager. “Partnering with a local company to provide gluten-free menu options is an opportunity to meet the needs of our guests and invest in our local economy.”

According to Dave Dekker, Executive Chef of Levy Restaurants at Sprint Center, homemade, hand-pressed gluten-free pizza dough is prepared and cooked in a separate oven to avoid cross-contamination. “Our new gluten-free menu items are the direct result of our efforts to cater to the needs of our guests,” Dekker said.

Beginning at the Neil Young concert on April 30, Sprint Center guests can enjoy gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free pizza crusts and desserts courtesy of Olivia’s Oven. Founded by Carreen Blankenship and her husband, Shawn, Olivia’s Oven is the result of providing quality food alternatives for the couple’s eldest daughter, Olivia, who has been diagnosed with Celiac disease, a genetic disorder shared by more than 2.1 million people in the United States.

In people with Celiac disease, eating certain types of protein, called gluten, sets off an autoimmune response that causes damage to the small intestine. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye, and to a lesser extent, oats – it exists in enough base items to put quite a kink into a meal plan.

“Sprint Center’s willingness to explore gluten-free options is a genuine effort that is appreciated by all guests,” Blankenship said. “By their participation alone, awareness of Celiac disease and common food allergies will increase and most importantly guests will enjoy great-tasting, gluten-free pizza and sweet snacks.”