Chicago Cubs to Serve Hot Doug's & Portillo's at Spring Training in Arizona

The Cubs really like calling their Arizona Spring Training digs "Wrigleyville West" and now they're making sure the food reflects the label. Encased meats from Hot Doug's and Italian beef from Portillo's Hot Dogs will be available for baseball fans during the team's 15-game exhibition schedule at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz. Fans will have a choice from two Hot Doug's items at each game, said Jay Satenspiel, regional VP for Spectra Venue Management and Food Services & Hospitality, which is the Comcast-owned firm that handles food at Sloan Park.

The Cubs have copied the Hot Doug's set up from Wrigley's bleachers and brought it to Arizona. The Spring Training field will serve Vienna Beef sausages with Hot Doug's toppings, just like they do at the big-league park in Chicago. The selections will also reflect Doug's "best sellers" at Wrigley, said Satenspiel. Up first are the spicy Polish and jalapeno-cheddar sausages (Doug Sohn's naming them after ex-Cubs Champ Summers and Steve Trachsel). They'll cycle sausages three times, or every five games.

Sloan Park has offered Italian beef in past years, but now they've teamed with venerable Portillo's to rebrand their portable beef cart. Portillo's also has restaurants in Tempe and Scottsdale, Ariz., which reflects the large number of ex-Chicagoans living in Arizona and makes that collaboration easier.

During the offseason, much like the Cubs did with their roster, park and team management held conversations on what acquisitions and improvements they could make. "We continue to push the envelope to allow people who live down here from Chicago to experience a taste of Chicago," Satenspiel said.

The Cubs' first home Spring Training game is on Friday and Spring Training concludes on March 30. Sohn may even make an appearance, though he said he's still unsure if he'll make the trip.