Did the Phillies sacrifice the sanctity of their hot dogs in exchange for a good season? It’s possible.
This season, Citizen Bank Park unveiled new packaging for the franks: swapping the traditional aluminum foil wrapper for a bulkier clamshell-style plastic box. Online, some fans say they’re unimpressed, citing sustainability, portability, and steam concerns.
It’s the latest chapter in what some are viewing as the glizzy’s demise at Phillies games, the change coming on the heels of Dollar Dog Night’s elimination.
A spokesperson with Aramark, Citizens Bank Park’s concessionaire, confirmed the switch is here to stay.
“Citizens Bank Park’s focus for this offseason was on how they could serve the highest quality product, that would transport easily (especially after condiments being added — which couldn’t be done with previous packaging) and be the best experience for enjoying while in your seat,” the spokesperson said.
At Monday’s game, local government relations professional and die-hard Phillies fan Lauren Vidas tweeted about her concerns with the new packaging in a post that’s been viewed more than 22,000 times.
“Phillies not only took away dollar dog night but now hot dogs come in plastic clam shells instead of the foil wrap. This is insanely wasteful,” Vidas wrote.
“Everyone in my section was thoroughly annoyed with the additional plastic,” Vidas told The Inquirer. “It just feels extra wasteful for hard packaging for a food that is traveling 100 feet and getting consumed within three minutes of purchase.”
The clamshell is made of number 5 plastic, the Aramark spokesperson said, which is recyclable in Philly.
As for fans’ sustainability concerns, it’s tricky to compare the plastic boxes to the foil sheets because multiple factors are involved. Aluminum foil has a large manufacturing footprint, but those emissions can be minimized if the foil is made with recycled aluminum. Unlike plastic, it can be recycled back into use repeatedly while plastic polymers eventually break down.
Still, on X (formerly Twitter), complaints about the excessive packaging are racking up, especially when it comes to ordering multiple dogs at once. The new packaging fits one wiener per box while fans historically threw several foil-wrapped hot dogs into one bag or stowed a “pocket dog” for later. Critics also say the new packaging creates a soggy bun with the condensation getting trapped inside.
“Justice for the tin foil wrap,” one fan wrote.
It’s unclear when the transition from foil to plastic started (The Inquirer asked Aramark but did not immediately hear back), but social media posts reveal sightings back to opening day in late March. An Inquirer staff photo from April shows a hot dog in one of the boxes as well.
There are even some fan theories that the packaging switch was implemented after the February announcement that Dollar Dog Night was 86′d to dissuade fans from future food fights.
“Foil wrapped hotdogs are too aerodynamic,” one fan tweeted.
For foil purists, veggie dogs at the Greens and Grains stand appear to still use foil wrappers. Fans have pointed out that emissions-conscious people should probably avoid meat anyway.
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