When it comes to reinventing a major culinary section of the Honda Center, the arena’s food team is looking to score a hat trick.

The first Anaheim Ducks home game launches Thursday, Oct. 5 with a $2 million makeover of the ever-changing south entrance. Standing O, a full-service restaurant, has been gutted and transformed into three food and beverage concepts: The Kitchen, Sierra Nevada Draught House and Express Eats.

The new options are expected to ease congested lines at surrounding concession stands by offering restaurant quality foods in a fast casual setting.

Among the new dishes being offered: half-pound burgers made with brisket and ground chuck, loaded fries topped with chunks of fried chicken and country gravy, pizza with fire roasted vegetables, sandwiches made with house smoked brisket and pastrami, to-go salads, craft beer and a self-serve soda bar.

Honda Center’s executive chef Jo-Jo Doyle in “The Kitchen,” one of the new eateries at the Honda Center’s remodeled South Entrance in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Honda Center president and CEO Tim Ryan checks out the offerings at “Express Eats,” part of the Honda Center’s new South Entrance remodel in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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The Chicken and Bacon Loaded Fries with Sawmill gravy is one of the new items featured in “The Kitchen,” one of the new eateries at the Honda Center’s remodeled South Entrance in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Workers put the final touches on “The Sierra Nevada Draught House,” part of Honda Center’s new South Entrance remodel in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. The new construction connects the Ducks Team Store, the South Entrance and three new food and beverage concepts which will be prepared by executive chef Jo-Jo Doyle. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A Wood-Fired Italian Supreme Pizza is one of the offerings at “The Kitchen,” a new eatery at the Honda Center’s remodeled South Entrance in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)



Whole pizza made in a stone hearth oven, salads and sandwiches are some of the available items in the new eatery “The Kitchen,” part of the Honda CenterÕs new South Entrance remodel in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Executive chef Jo-Jo Doyle in “The Kitchen,” part of the Honda CenterÕs new South Entrance remodel in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. The new construction connects the Ducks Team Store, the South Entrance and three new food and beverage concepts. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A new Sierra Nevada-themed patio sits off the new food and beverage area called “The Kitchen,” part of the Honda Center’s new South Entrance in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Al Pastor Tacos is one of the new items offered at “The Kitchen,” a new eatery at the Honda Center’s remodeled South Entrance in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Sierra Nevada Draught house is one of the new locations at the Honda Center’s remodeled South Entrance in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)



The Roasted Brined Turkey Breast Sandwich is one of the new items offered in “The Kitchen,” a new eatery at the Honda Center’s remodeled South Entrance in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A Wood-Fired BBQ Chicken Pizza is one of the offerings at “The Kitchen,” a new eatery at the Honda Center’s remodeled South Entrance in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Roasted Brined Turkey Breast Sandwich, the House Made Pastrami on Rye and the Smoked Tangy Tri Tip BBQ sandwich, from left, are some of the new items offered in “The Kitchen,” a new eatery at the Honda Center’s remodeled South Entrance in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Fresh pre-packaged meals are some of the offerings at “The Kitchen,” a new eatery at the Honda Center’s remodeled South Entrance in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A whole new menu is offered at “The Kitchen,” a new eatery at the Honda Center’s remodeled South Entrance in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)



Workers prepare to serve samples at “The Kitchen,” a new eatery at the Honda Center’s remodeled South Entrance in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Crinkle fries, executive chef Jo-Jo Doyle’s favorite, are offered with the sandwiches and burgers at “The Kitchen,” a new eatery at the Honda Center’s remodeled South Entrance in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Executive chef Jo-Jo Doyle in “The Kitchen,” part of the Honda Center’s new South Entrance remodel in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. The new construction connects the Ducks Team Store, the South Entrance and three new food and beverage concepts. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The new South Entrance to the Honda Center, part of a remodel to the 25-year-old building in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017.(Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The new South Entrance to the Honda Center, part of a remodel to the 25-year-old building in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, October 4, 2017.(Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)



The Kitchen, Sierra Nevada Draught House and Express Eats at Honda Center feature the following grab-and-go foods: half-pound burgers made with brisket and ground chuck, loaded fries topped with chunks of fried chicken and country (shown) gravy . (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Kitchen, Sierra Nevada Draught House and Express Eats at Honda Center feature the following grab-and-go foods: half-pound burgers made with brisket and ground chuck, loaded fries topped with chunks of fried chicken and country (shown) gravy, pizza with fire roasted vegetables, sandwiches made with house smoked brisket and pastrami, to-go salads, craft beer and a self-serve soda bar. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Kitchen, Sierra Nevada Draught House and Express Eats at Honda Center feature the following grab-and-go foods: half-pound burgers made with brisket and ground chuck, loaded fries topped with chunks of fried chicken and country gravy, pizza with fire roasted vegetables. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Angel Stadium Food: A guide to what’s new for the 2017 season Joseph “Jo Jo” Doyle, the arena’s executive chef, said he had a lot of funny designing a whole new menu from scratch.

“This is what I honestly live for,” said Doyle, who came to the Honda Center four years ago from Churchill Downs in Kentucky.

In 2013, Doyle helped overhaul the arena’s food operations, which were taken in-house as part of a $20 million upgrade to the Honda Center. The makeover included adding a private members-only dining facility on the club level and a full service restaurant by Wolfgang Puck.

Wolfgang Puck exited the project after a year, saying it was too difficult to run a restaurant three or four times a week. The Honda Center replaced it with Standing O, a sit-down restaurant that seated about 225 people.

Standing O was typically booked before each event, especially hockey games. But as soon as games started, it was hard to get people to come back in.

“The room wasn’t being utilized to its full extent,” said Julie Margolin, director of food and beverage.

The always agile Honda Center, run by Anaheim Arena Management, set out to shake things up by re-configuring the south entrance in front of Standing O. The indoor-outdoor 10,000-square-foot space has been enclosed to create a social hub outside the former sit-down restaurant.

The centerpiece of the new enclosed space will be a near 1,000-square foot U-shaped bar, which is still under construction. Once complete later this year, up to 16 bartenders will be mixing drinks for fans.

The space is flanked on each side by several large flat screen TVs so fans can keep an eye on the game.

Near the bar are two entrances to the former Standing O restaurant.

The wide-open, 8,000-square-foot space resembles a high-end fast food court, with three walk-up stands or bars for buying food and drinks.

The Kitchen is the main walk-up eatery featuring 12 different meal options including tacos, half-pound burgers, three types of loaded fries and sandwiches stuffed with piles of meat. Prices range from $14 to $24.

The most expensive item is a $24 Dasher cheeseburger topped with cherry wood smoked bacon and tri-tip. All the burgers are served with shredded lettuce, hand-cut heirloom tomatoes, and red onion. Each burger comes with crinkle cut fries, a personal favorite of Doyle.

He said he grew up back East, where crinkle cut fries are common. He’s hoping they’ll be embraced by Orange County fans. “For me, it’s really fun.”

The food court also includes a self-serve beverage bar for customers who buy a souvenir cup. Instead, of waiting in line to get a refill, they can do it themselves (with an arena staffer overlooking to keep people honest.)

The Express Eats looks like a convenience store with open coolers and heated shelves for grab-and-go items such as craft beer, sports drinks, bottled soda, whole pizzas, half rotisserie chicken with green beans and mashed potatoes, meatloaf, hummus with vegetable sticks, wraps, roasted vegetable Greek salad, roasted chicken salad on bed of quinoa, and chicken Caesar salad. Prices range from $12 to $20.

Snacks, desserts and candy bars range in price from $5.25 to $8.50.

The Sierra Nevada bar contains 10 taps, giving fans another choice to quickly buy craft beer to take to their seats during a game.

Tim Ryan, arena chief executive, said the three food and beverage stands are designed to drive transactions, as well as create a better fan experience.

By scrapping the full-service restaurant, the new space has the capacity to serve about 800 people a night. Standing O, on the other hand, was limited to 225.

Doyle said the fast-casual service allows the kitchen to be nimble. He is hoping to rotate new seasonal items on a regular basis.

“We can change with a flip of a switch,” he said.

The south entrance is one of the busiest entryways at the Honda Center. Ryan said 5,000 to 6,000 fans enter through the south doors, near the Team Store. As part of the refresh, the Ducks retail shop also has been expanded with new merchandise, more cash registers and a new main entrance.

Outside of the south entrance, the only other major food change at the center can be found at the Main Concourse, Section 226. A new food stand dubbed Southern California will be serving hot chicken sandwiches, shrimp po’boy burritos, blackened catfish, hush puppies, beignets, and bananas foster pudding parfaits. It replaces Pick Up Stix.