VenuesNow 2025 All-Star Honoree: Kelly McLinden

KELLY McLINDEN
Director Of Food & Beverage, UBS Arena
Delaware North Sportservice

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN:  
“Making pastrami sandwiches at Nassau Coliseum.”

Kelly McLinden’s modest origins in the food and beverage industry “began 24 years ago at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island where I made pastrami sandwiches. My parents ran my town’s Little League baseball and softball snack bar, so I worked there growing up every chance I got!”

As the director of food and beverage at UBS Arena for Delaware North Sportservice, McLinden’s passion for serving customers hasn’t changed but has evolved to consider something else she deeply cares about: sustainability.

“We use 100% compostable and recyclable in all our serving, paperware, cupware throughout the arena, and this year, we hit a building waste diversion rate of 97.15%” McLinden says.

Her efforts were celebrated with five Green Operations & Advanced Leadership (GOAL) medals on behalf of Delaware North in the following categories: Reduce Quantity of Total Waste, Eliminate Single-Use Plastic, Create a Circularity Program or Activation, Promote Food Inclusivity & Transparency and Provide Healthy Food Options.

As part of Delaware North’s commitment to giving back and supporting local nonprofits, McLinden says the team at UBS Arena works closely with local partners to identify ways to donate unused food to neighbors in need. They are also rising up to meet economic challenges by implementing new value items and shareable meals to keep menu items affordable.

With Northwell Health being an arena partner – and as the rise of health-consciousness has impacted consumer preferences in the special events and sports hospitality industry – McLinden notes that UBS Arena is “currently building a more robust mocktail program – and I look forward to seeing the results this season!”

Up next, McLinden says, “I am most excited for Delaware North to continue to help UBS Arena achieve zero waste, or 100% diversion from landfill, which has helped us earn LEED Silver, and continuing to maintain and exceed these high environmental standards by working closely with stakeholders to find innovative solutions to reduce waste and educate our fans about the role they can play.”