580 jobs cut as Amalie Arena contract ends

A Tampa concessionaire will be laying off 580 employees as it prepares for its contract to end with Amalie Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Tampa Sportservice Inc., also known as Delaware North, reports hundreds of workers will be terminated as of June 30, when the company’s contract expires. Delaware North provided notice to the state of Florida on April 25 in accordance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires 60 days’ notice of a mass layoff, plant closure or relocation.

In his letter to state officials, Delaware North executive James Obletz says that while the job cuts with his company are permanent, “We understand that most impacted team members will have an opportunity to work for the incoming concessionaire at Amalie Arena.”

Vinik Sports Group, which owns the Tampa Bay Lightning and manages Amalie Arena, announced earlier this month that it signed a mutliyear deal with Oak View Group, a Colorado-based concessionaire.

“I want to acknowledge and thank Delaware North for their partnership,” Steve Griggs, CEO of Vinik Sports Group, said in an April 10 statement. “Their dedicated staff has served our fans for many years and we sincerely appreciate their contributions in elevating our organization. We are pleased that many of those full-time and part-time employees will have the opportunity to transition to work with OVG Hospitality.”

The new contract with Oak View Group starts July 1.