Kalamazoo, Mich. – Minor league baseball is notorious for its bizarre concessions menu items. The West Michigan Whitecaps have produced crowd favorites like the “Fifth Third Burger” and “Baco”, while the Battle Creek Bombers received national attention for their sweet and salty Twinkie Dog. The Kalamazoo Growlers are jumping right into the crazy concessions conversation with the introduction of the Bear Claw Burger to their inaugural menu.

The Bear Claw Burger is a half-pound Angus hamburger topped with Michigan based Ebel’s barbeque pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, and coleslaw between two Sweetwater’s Donut Mill bear claw donuts. This towering burger serves two people, comes with two bags of chips and is only $12 at all Kalamazoo Growlers home games.

The newly unveiled Growlers Home Plate Club will feature the Bear Claw Burger along with an array of premium food items including chicken satays, bacon-wrapped shrimp kabobs, Angus beef sliders, specialty brats, flatbreads, Sara Lee brownies, Brownie Sundaes, specialty cookies, Grand Traverse Pie, and the ballpark’s full selection of beer, wine, soda, and water. Wait service is on hand in only this area to deliver orders directly to the tables. A full Growlers Growler is delivered to each table with their first order as well.

The Growlers Home Plate Club will begin renovations next week. This premium area is located directly behind home plate at the top of the general admission section. Vandam and Krusinga Building & Restoration will be constructing the entire Home Plate Area with Lowes Home Improvement providing the supplies and Rock Sold Surfaces furnishing the granite table tops. The seats in the Home Plate Club are actual seats from the legendary Camden Yards – home of the Baltimore Orioles.

The Growlers begin their inaugural 2014 season on the road as they take on the defending Northwoods League champions, the Madison Mallards on May 27^th. The first home game of the year is on Friday, May 30^th at Homer Stryker Stadium, when the Battle Creek Bombers come to Kalamazoo in the first of a five game home stand for the Growlers.

The Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live and free of charge via the Northwoods League YouTube channel.  For more information, visit http://www.growlersbaseball.com.