Inside Houston Texans' premium BMW Lone Star Ballroom, BMW M Club Blue at Reliant Stadium
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The Houston Texans have plenty of food and drink options for the 70,000-plus fans that will be at each of their home games at Reliant Stadium, but very few will get to experience the luxury of the stadium's new exclusive area just steps away from the field.
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Similar to what the Astros offer with the Diamond Club or the Rockets with their Lexus Lounge, the Texans are introducing the BMW Lone Star Ballroom and BMW M Club Blue.
The Texans took what was a storage area in the bowels of the stadium and turned it into a swanky lounge located at field level, below the stands, with a window looking out to the tunnel where the visiting team will run out onto the field before games.
That kind of access to the field and players is something that has been missing from the only building the Houston Texans have known since they began play in 2002.
"It's real important to us when we talk about delivering a world-class fan experience that we understand what other venues, other buildings are doing, not only in the state, not only in the country, but worldwide," Houston Texans team president Mike Tomon said. "I think we have seen a lot more segmentation to the different markets, meaning, do you have a unique experience for a certain type of fan? So, we see that as a trend and we see the want to get closer to the team and the game element as a trend as well."
A couple hundred fans will have access to the Lone Star Ballroom, then an ultra-exclusive group of just 44 members can turn a corner inside the ballroom, spin a BMW steering wheel and walk into the BMW M Club Blue, which has a speakeasy vibe.
Members in both areas will have access to the field pregame and be treated to an all-inclusive experience with food from Bludorn Restaurant, Houston's Michelin-recommended spot that serves Aaron Bludorn's Texas Gulf Coast cuisine with French-inspired touches.
Lone Star Ballroom members also will receive valet parking before heading into the club and eventually to their gameday seats.
The BMW M Club Blue members actually will be chauffeured to and from Reliant Stadium in a BMW vehicle and brought in through the loading dock where the players enter. They also will be escorted to their game seats by a personal concierge who will be available throughout the game.
Bludorn says members can expect to see much of the same cuisine he features at the restaurant, although he'll keep some of it a tad simpler.
"I put myself in the shoes of the guests, first and foremost, and think what do I want to eat when I'm at a football game?" Bludorn said. "I'm probably not having something too elevated, but I'd like to have a lobster roll that's perfectly executed. I think about the burgers, sliders, whatever, we want to do it on buns we're making in-house, a grind of meat that we're really excited about. Take the quality that we have at our restaurants and bring it here."
And, yes, Bludorn's famous Short Rib Ravioli will be there as well.
"It's a great version of us taking a pasta dish and giving it a little Texification, if you will, by smoking that short rib and making the filling out of it, but also serving it with roasted figs," Bludorn said. "It's such a perfect dish and makes so much sense here."
While stuffing themselves with that ravioli, the club members will be able to watch the visiting team - not the Texans - walk out onto the field, which is fine by the home team.
"It was important to us that the Texans players can walk and get to the field and have a friction-less experience," Tomon said, before joking, "we put up a bunch of trip wires outside for the opposing team so everyone's going to be able to see them kind of fumble their way through, so if there's any distractions on that side, we're OK with it."
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