Brian Hediger
General Manager
Aramark
Brian Hediger has packed a ton of experience — and logged thousands of miles along the way — over 14 years at Aramark Sports and Entertainment.
Hediger’s portfolio extends from convention centers and parks and resorts to the NFL and Major League Baseball, where he now serves as Aramark’s general manager at PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
For Hediger, a Pittsburgh native, it’s been a dream come true playing a key role in operating the ballpark, as well as Heinz Field, now Acrisure Stadium, where he spent three years as suites manager and assistant catering manager at the Steelers’ facility.
The Ohio State University graduate got his feet wet working as an
Aramark intern at the Greater Columbus Convention Center during his senior year in college. After graduation, Hediger was hired full time at the convention center, spending three years as retail foods and bar manager.
From there, he moved back to Pittsburgh and the NFL before heading west to work in the parks sector, starting with assisting in Aramark’s transition to take over the food account at Yosemite National Park in California.
“I got out there to help out and it’s one of the most beautiful places on earth,” Hediger said. “I fell in love with the idea of working in the parks division; it was a fun group.”
He stayed in that piece of the hospitality industry for five years at Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas and Mesa Verde National Park before returning to Pittsburgh again as he started growing a family with his wife, Abbie.
Getting back into the sports sector was his goal. Hediger took over at PNC Park in March 2021, where he helped Aramark and the Pirates plan stadium renovations, much of which focused on revamping outfield spaces into more flexible destinations to eat and drink.
Over the past two seasons, two of those areas, Fathead’s Bullpen Bar above the center field bullpen, and the Miller Lite Landing in right center, have led to high demand for fans roaming the ballpark that may want to hang out, enjoy a cold one and still watch the game at PNC Park.
“They’ve become the most popular destinations, whether there’s 10,000 or 30,000 people in the park,” Hediger said. “Food and drink is pure to the fan experience and anything we can do to take it to the next level — it’s what we talk about every day. What can we do to check those boxes.”