The Rink at Rockefeller Center

What The Rink at Rockefeller Center does

Delaware North Companies, Inc. is a privately-held, family-owned hospitality company founded in 1915 by the Jacobs brothers and headquartered at 250 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, New York. The company provides outsourced hospitality services — food and beverage concessions, retail, lodging, gaming, and entertainment operations — to venue owners and operators under multi-year service contracts. It operates across four divisions (Sportservice, Parks & Resorts, Travel, Gaming) plus corporate functions, with a majority-owned Patina Restaurant Group (acquired 2014) and Boston Holdings that owns the Boston Bruins. Verticals served include major sports stadiums and arenas (10 MLB ballparks, Wembley Stadium, Emirates Stadium, MCG, Marvel Stadium, TD Garden, Truist Park), national parks (Yellowstone, Grand Canyon), airports in Australia and New Zealand, and regional casinos.

The company's underlying operating platform combines standardized hospitality workflows across 200+ venues on three continents, served by 40,000+ team members and delivering food, beverage, and retail experiences to 500M+ guests annually. Its proprietary GreenPath sustainability program (in operation since 1999) structures environmental practices across sourcing, waste, and venue design. Notable capabilities include multi-day event staffing (1,000-1,500 team members per event at Marvel Stadium), remote-location employee housing for national park operations, and chef-driven culinary partnerships with Michelin-starred chefs Andrew Wong and Carlos Gaytan to elevate stadium F&B offerings.

The business model is B2B service contracting: revenue is generated through long-term service agreements with venue owners and direct guest spending at operated locations. The firm does not publicly disclose pricing or unit economics. The customer base is concentrated in large enterprise counterparties (sports franchises, government entities managing national parks, stadium operators, and casino owners) across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. The Jacobs family retains controlling ownership, and no private equity, venture capital, or public ownership is indicated in available data.

Name

The Rink at Rockefeller Center

Legal name

Delaware North Companies, Inc.

Website

https://therinkatrockcenter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Delaware North is a privately-held hospitality company founded in 1915 that operates food and beverage, retail, lodging, and entertainment services at 200+ venues — including sports stadiums, national parks, airports, and casinos — across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ice Skating Rink

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Spectator Sports (7112)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Rinks & Winter Sports Facilities (MPAKAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Concession & Stadium / Arena Catering (THAFAIAG), Venue & Facility Reservations (Private Rooms, Event Spaces) (HSACALAJ)

Keywords

• Ice skating rink
• Public skating sessions
• Skating lessons
• Rink event rentals
• Winter recreation

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hospitality Services: Delaware North provides hospitality services including food & beverage concessions, retail, lodging, and entertainment operations at sports venues, national parks, airports, casinos, and resorts. Revenue is generated through service contracts with venue owners and direct guest spending.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Rink at Rockefeller Center operates a public ice skating rink in New York City, selling admission to skating sessions, skate rentals, group/lesson programming, and private or corporate event bookings on the ice. The venue is operated by Delaware North, a privately held hospitality company, and serves individual visitors and groups at the Rockefeller Center location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Ice Skating Sessions Ticketed public ice skating sessions open to individual visitors and families at the Rockefeller Center rink in New York City, including access to on-site skate rental.
• Group and Private Event Bookings Reserved on-ice sessions for corporate, tourism, and group bookings, with event execution supported by the parent hospitality operator.
• Skate Rentals and On-Site Retail Per-visit skate rental and ancillary on-site retail purchases for guests attending skating sessions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 72% recycling rate during major events at Wembley Stadium
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Andrew Wong (Two-Michelin-starred Chef)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with two-Michelin-starred Chef Andrew Wong to develop elevated menus for Wembley Stadium's Inner Circle membership area, bringing high-end culinary concepts to stadium hospitality. The partnership reimagines accessible stadium food with high-quality offerings.
• Carlos Gaytan (Michelin-starred Chef)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Michelin-starred chef Carlos Gaytan to create Tacos Mejor, a chef-driven concept debuting at Truist Park (Atlanta Braves stadium).
• Marvel StadiumflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner25+ year partnership managing hospitality operations at Marvel Stadium, one of Melbourne's premier venues for sport and entertainment with capacity of 53,000+. Operations include food and beverage, retail, and corporate hospitality.
• Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey hospitality partner at the MCG, Australia's largest stadium with capacity of ~100,000, delivering food and beverage experiences across corporate suites, dining rooms, and public areas for AFL Grand Finals, international cricket, and major concerts.
• 10 Major League Baseball TeamsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSportservice division operates food, beverage, and retail at 10 MLB stadiums including Comerica Park (Tigers), American Family Field (Brewers), Rate Field (White Sox), Petco Park (Padres), Great American Ball Park (Reds), Busch Stadium (Cardinals), Truist Park (Braves), Target Field (Twins), Globe Life Field (Rangers), and Progressive Field (Guardians).
• Wembley StadiumflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStadium hospitality and catering operations including Emirates FA Cup Final, major concerts, and premium dining experiences at one of the UK's most iconic venues.
• Emirates StadiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospitality operations at Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal FC, operating since 2006 alongside Wembley Stadium presence.
• Wheen Bee FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable partnership at Marvel Stadium supporting Australian pollinator protection and ecosystem awareness through themed cocktail initiative.
• InvertiGro and Simon George & SonsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partnership at Mindil Beach Casino Resort launching vertical wall farming system to support sustainable food and beverage sourcing.
• Yellowstone National ParkflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParks and Resorts division operates 11 general stores, lodging facilities, and food service throughout Yellowstone National Park including Yellowstone General Stores, West Yellowstone hotels, and The Ridgeline Hotel in Gardiner.
• Grand Canyon National ParkflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperations include Yavapai Lodge with 358 guest rooms, retail stores, food and beverage at Desert View and Canyon Village, and the Squire Resort in Tusayan near the South Rim.
• Australian and New Zealand AirportscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTravel division operates airport hospitality services at airports throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Legends Hospitality: Legends Hospitality provides hospitality, merchandise, and venue services to major sports and entertainment properties (Yankee Stadium, SoFi Stadium, AT&T Stadium). It competes for the same suite of premium venue hospitality contracts that underpin the parent platform's sports-services business.
• Wollman Rink (in Central Park): Wollman Rink is New York City's other flagship outdoor ice rink in Central Park, operating as a seasonal tourist ice-skating venue. It is the most direct comparably-scaled rink competitor in the same city, competing for tourist skating dollars and corporate holiday events.
• Compass Group / Levy Restaurants: Levy Restaurants, a subsidiary of Compass Group, is a leading sports and entertainment hospitality provider operating premium dining at venues including NBA/NFL arenas, Wrigley Field, and Churchill Downs. Its premium-venue F&B positioning mirrors the parent platform's chef-driven stadium hospitality strategy.
• Aramark: Aramark is the largest direct competitor to the parent hospitality platform that operates this rink, providing food & beverage, concessions, and hospitality services across sports stadiums, arenas, convention centers, and major venues globally. The competitive overlap on premium venue hospitality makes it the closest comparable operator.
• Sodexo Live! (formerly Centerplate): Sodexo Live! specializes in hospitality, concessions, and catering at sports venues, convention centers, and entertainment destinations. It directly competes with the parent platform for premium venue contracts at stadiums and arenas in the US and Europe.

Broad incumbents

• Smyth + The Loyalist (Patina Group concepts): Patina Restaurant Group is a subsidiary of the parent platform, providing fine-dining and premium hospitality operations in New York City (Rockefeller Center, Barclays Center). As an in-house premium-dining arm, it shares culinary talent and supplier relationships relevant to upscale rink hospitality packages.
• MSG Entertainment (Madison Square Garden): MSG operates premier New York sports and entertainment venues (Madison Square Garden, Radio City, The Theater at MSG). While a venue owner rather than a hospitality operator, it competes for the same premium NYC entertainment and corporate holiday-event spend.

Regional players

• The Rink at Bryant Park: Bryant Park's winter ice rink is another iconic NYC outdoor seasonal skating venue. While operated by a different management entity, it competes directly for the same New York holiday tourist and corporate-event skating market.

Emerging players

• TAO Group Hospitality: TAO Group operates premium hospitality, restaurant, and event venues in major US cities. While not an ice-rink operator, it competes for premium NYC group-event and corporate hospitality budgets during the same holiday season window.
• Oak View Group: Oak View Group is a fast-growing venue development and hospitality operator behind new arena projects (e.g., Climate Pledge Arena, UBS Arena) and venue services. It overlaps with the parent platform's arena hospitality offerings and represents an emerging competitor for premium venue contracts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-rink-at-rockefeller-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Rink at Rockefeller Center