T-Mobile Arena and SMKD BBQ Partner to Bring Signature Barbecue to Arena

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- T-Mobile Arena and SMKD BBQ, the Henderson-based barbecue concept from chef Alex Reznik and Ogden Hospitality Group, today announced a new sponsorship naming SMKD BBQ a T-Mobile Arena Venue Partner. The agreement, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, will bring SMKD’s signature smoke-first approach to a location on the arena’s Upper Concourse, where the brand will operate a dedicated food cart featuring a completely separate menu created specifically for games, concerts and other live events.

T-Mobile Arena and SMKD BBQ Partner to Bring Signature Barbecue to Arena

The new sponsorship expands SMKD’s reach less than a year after the concept opened its Henderson restaurant and introduces the locally born brand to the more than 1 million guests who visit T-Mobile Arena annually for Vegas Golden Knights games, concerts and other world-championship sports and entertainment events.

At the popular Henderson restaurant, the new sandwich-focused campaign is built around one simple idea: the best sandwiches start in the smoker.

“We opened SMKD because we wanted to make great barbecue, but somewhere along the way we realized the same meats coming out of our smokers could make some pretty ridiculous sandwiches,” said Reznik, chef and owner of Ogden Hospitality Group. “Now we get to show people another side of SMKD in Henderson while taking the brand to T-Mobile Arena. To be doing both less than a year after opening is pretty damn exciting.”

The Best Sandwiches Start in the Smoker

As SMKD expands its reach through the new T-Mobile Arena sponsorship, the brand is also putting a bigger spotlight on its smoke-first sandwiches at its Henderson restaurant, built around one simple idea: The best sandwiches start in the smoker.

Most sandwich shops have a slicer. SMKD has smokers.

Leading the lineup is the SMKD French Dip, built with prime rib, caramelized onions, a toasted roll and hot smoked jus. It is rich, messy and very much a two-napkin situation.

The Pastrami on Rye leans into the New York Jewish deli tradition with house-smoked pastrami and mustard and griddled rye. No deli-counter shortcuts. Just serious smoke and a sandwich that knows exactly what it is.

Then there is El Cubano, stacked with pulled pork, ham, Swiss, pickles and chimichurri, then pressed until crisp. Pork on pork. No apology.

The campaign puts a bigger spotlight on three existing SMKD favorites and reinforces the restaurant’s push to be as much of a go-to Henderson lunch and sandwich destination as it is a barbecue spot.

A Separate Menu Built for T-Mobile Arena

At T-Mobile Arena, SMKD will serve guests from a dedicated food cart on the Upper Concourse, bringing a different lineup to The Strip with a menu created specifically for the arena experience. The cart is expected to operate during T-Mobile Arena events, including Vegas Golden Knights games, giving sports fans, concertgoers and visitors worldwide the opportunity to experience the Henderson-born concept.

SMKD’s T-Mobile Arena menu goes all-in on game-day food, with a dedicated menu built for big appetites and zero shortcuts. While Henderson’s sandwich campaign spotlights the French Dip, Pastrami on Rye and El Cubano, SMKD is taking a different lineup to the popular Strip venue.

Headlining the arena menu is The Power Play, an offering made with chopped smoked brisket and pulled pork smashed together on the flat top until the edges caramelize, then finished with melted American cheese, crispy onions, house pickles and OG BBQ aioli on a butter-toasted potato bun.

The lineup also includes The Pig Which with slow-smoked pulled pork, OG BBQ sauce and house pickles; and The White Mama with mojo-smoked chicken, Alabama white sauce, crispy onions and house pickles. Each is served on a butter-toasted potato bun.

For the snack break, Pig Candy brings smoked pork belly glazed in sticky OG BBQ sauce until sweet, smoky and dangerously addictive. Something sweet comes in the form of classic Banana Pudding with vanilla wafers, fresh banana and whipped cream, plus The Dirty Cookie, a gooey chocolate chip cookie loaded with chocolate and finished with smoked sea salt.

“We wanted the arena menu to feel like SMKD from the first bite,” said Reznik. “Big smoke, big flavor, food you actually want on game day. The Power Play is exactly that — brisket and pulled pork smashed together until the edges caramelize, then cheese, crispy onions, pickles and BBQ aioli. It’s messy in the right way.”

For Reznik, the sponsorship with T-Mobile Arena is a major milestone for a restaurant that opened in Henderson less than a year ago.

“SMKD was built for our Henderson community, and that will always be home,” Reznik said. “Getting to bring the brand to T-Mobile Arena and put it in front of people from all over Las Vegas and around the world is huge for us. We’re just getting started.”

The French Dip, Pastrami on Rye and El Cubano are featured as part of SMKD BBQ’s sandwich-focused campaign at the Henderson restaurant. At T-Mobile Arena, SMKD will offer its dedicated arena menu from its Upper Concourse location, including the Power Play.

“SMKD has quickly established itself as an exciting addition to Southern Nevada’s culinary community, and we’re thrilled to welcome them as a T-Mobile Arena Venue Partner,” said Sally Bae, Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships for AEG in Las Vegas. “Continuing to introduce compelling local concepts and flavors is an important part of evolving the guest experience at T-Mobile Arena, and we look forward to giving fans another distinctly Las Vegas dining option to enjoy when they attend an event.”

For more information, visit https://www.t-mobilearena.com/, as well as www.smkdbbq.com and follow @smkdbbqlv on social media.

About Ogden Hospitality Group

Ogden Hospitality Group is a Henderson-based restaurant company led by chef and owner Alex Reznik, a Season 7 alum of “Top Chef” and winner of “Beat Bobby Flay,” and co-owner Laurie Reznik, who leads the interior design and creative direction of the group’s restaurant concepts. The group is home to Hayworth, an elevated neighborhood steakhouse, and SMKD BBQ, a modern barbecue concept known for its slow-smoked meats and approachable atmosphere. Together, Alex and Laurie bring complementary strengths in culinary development, restaurant design and hospitality to Ogden Hospitality Group, creating destination-worthy dining experiences off the Las Vegas Strip while remaining deeply rooted in the Henderson community. For more information, visit www.hayworthlv.com and www.smkdbbq.com, and follow @hayworthlv and @smkdbbqlv on social media.

About T-Mobile Arena

T-Mobile Arena, the 20,000-seat venue located on the Las Vegas Strip between Park MGM and New York-New York, opened April 6, 2016. The arena hosts more than 100 events annually including major headline entertainment, awards shows, UFC, boxing, basketball and other sporting events, family shows and special events. T-Mobile Arena also is the home of the Vegas Golden Knights, a National Hockey League expansion team and the city’s first professional sports team, as well as UFC’s exclusive Las Vegas arena destination. The venue, named the No. 1 venue on Billboard Magazine’s 2018 Arena Power List as well as the “Best New Major Concert Venue” by Pollstar Magazine in 2016, features 50 luxury suites, more than two dozen private loge boxes, complete broadcast facilities, and other specially designed exclusive hospitality offerings and fan amenities destined to create a guest experience second to none. Toshiba Plaza, an adjacent two-acre outdoor entertainment space, features performance stages, a variety of video screens and other interactive content and display areas. Designed and built to prioritize environmental sustainability, T-Mobile Arena was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® (LEED) Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2016.

T-Mobile Arena is a privately funded joint venture between AEG and MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM).

For more information, visit T-MobileArena.com or follow on Facebook, X and Instagram.