From Hot Dogs to Championships: Ken Young on Stadium Food, Minor League Ownership & Tampa Sports

Fourteen years ago, Tampa Home Talk launched to help listeners protect credit, live within their means, build wealth, and make smarter real-estate moves. Today, we're pulling back the curtain on a different kind of venue—stadiums and arenas—and the business engine that powers them. Katrina sits down with Tampa local and longtime sports operator Ken Young, who went from selling hot dogs as a teen in Philadelphia to running food service for major arenas, owning multiple minor league baseball teams, and even winning a Calder Cup with the Lightning's AHL affiliate. We talk stadium concessions, premium hospitality, Super Bowl food ops, why beer and hot dogs still rule, and how championship seasons translate to ticketing, merch, and media revenue. Ken shares smart, no-nonsense career advice for young pros (work to learn before you work to earn), plus a candid take on where the Rays should play, fan experience innovations (kids run the bases!), and the post-COVID shift in work ethic. If you love Tampa sports, business strategy, or behind-the-scenes stories from the Bucs, Rays, and Lightning era, this one's for you. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or tell Alexa: "Play Tampa Home Talk." Follow Katrina on Facebook/YouTube for video clips and show extras.