Consumers Credit Union Ventures Into a Branded Restaurant
The ConsumersCU Club Restaurant + Bar opens inside the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Typically, a credit union is known for opening new branches or headquarters as a way to expand its branding footprint. In the case of the Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Consumers Credit Union, officials decided to take over a restaurant.
About an hour north of Kalamazoo in downtown Grand Rapids, Mich., Consumers ($1.9 billion in assets, 126,497 members) launched a new partnership with the Van Andel Arena. The partnership includes a full branded sponsorship of the restaurant and bar space inside the arena – which is now called the ConsumersCU Club Restaurant + Bar.
According to a spokesperson for the credit union, the partnership is a five-year deal to start. Financial details of the arena sponsorship were not provided.
Beyond the Consumers-branded restaurant, the credit union will have signage placed throughout the arena, sponsorship of the first game of the season for the Grand Rapids Griffins hockey team and ticket giveaways all season.
In a statement from the credit union, the ConsumersCU Club will be managed by the food and beverage provider for the 12,000 seat arena, SAVOR…Grand Rapids. The menu will feature Tuscan mussels, poke nachos, sopapillas, margherita flatbread and other arena favorites.
“The Van Andel Arena and Griffins hockey team are staples of the Grand Rapids community,” Consumers President/CEO Scott Sylvester said. “We are looking forward to all the possibilities that arise as part of this exciting new collaboration.”