NWA Dining Dialogue: Edelstein’s ‘dinner theater’

There is no simple or magic formula for success in the eyes of Eric Edelstein.

“It’s day-by-day, blocking and tackling. … It’s just day-by-day taking care of the details,” said Edelstein, who at age 34 is one of the youngest general managers in Minor League Baseball, and is in his sixth season managing the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.

The Naturals, one of eight minor league baseball teams in the Texas League, moved from Wichita, Kan., to Springdale in 2006. The team is one of about 160 minor league teams in the country, and one of 30 double A minor league team.

“I’ve got a good gig,” Edelstein said during a recent interview.

He oversees the park operations, ticket sales, marketing and just about everything else not related to coaching. And while he admits there is a lot of competition for the entertainment dollar in Northwest Arkansas, Edelstein said the region is supportive of the team, with attendance figures often trumping those of Little Rock and other larger metro areas.

Edelstein credited the 20 front office employees for the success. He said his job is to manage the people and resources to produce a good fan experience – and a good experience is about cleanliness, friendly customer service and entertainment.

Edelstein on cleanliness: “That sounds simple, but it’s not always easy. … We have 4,500 people come through and then we have to clean up after them to be ready the next day.”

Edelstein on being friendly: “I tell them (part- and full-time team employees) we are the front porch for this organization.”

Edelstein on entertainment: “If you think about it, we really run a dinner theater. … You have to plan that even if the team goes 0 and 70, the fans will still want to come back and watch.”

For Edelstein, the journey began as a student at Bowling Green State University where he studied sports management and interned with the Cleveland Indians. In 2000, he began an internship with Buffalo, N.Y.-based Rich Entertainment Group, the parent company of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Rich is a holding company with operations that include sports teams and theatrical productions.

“When I went there to intern, I had no idea the size of the organization,” Edelstein said.

In September 2002, he was sent to Jamestown, New York, to manage the Jamestown Jammers. The single A league team had only three employees in the front office.

“I really got thrown in the fire with that job. I was pulling tarp. I was the sales person and did the marketing,” he explained.

In October 2003, one of his bosses asked Edelstein to consider managing the Wichita team.

“He essentially told me, ‘No one wants the job, and I really don’t have a lot of options … so it’s yours if you want it,’” Edelstein said with a laugh.

The Wichita team had suffered through several years of declining sales. Edelstein knew the job would not be easy, but figured he did not have a lot to lose at that point in his career.

“There was no way I was not going to make it work. There was no way. … I couldn’t say no to having a double A team at that age,” Edelstein said.

Before he could get settled in Wichita, Rich began searching for other regions to base the team. When Springdale successfully recruited the team, Edelstein saw the venture as another challenge for his young career.

“So, my job then was to introduce a minor league team to a region that had never seen one,” Edelstein said.

And so far, it has worked, according to Edelstein.

It’s worked because of the day-to-day work of focusing on details. For example, the front office works to make sure the social media effort is active and engaging. The day-to-day includes building relationships within the community, like allowing charities to use the facility, Edelstein said. It’s also about being creative and flexible and “staying on top of the trends,” he said.

“A packed house is the byproduct of numerous months of sales efforts and marketings and (media) interviews and working those relationships in the area,” Edelstein said. “It’s really a team effort by all of us (in the front office) every day.”

Overall, Edelstein is pleased with the results of his six seasons, but he’s not the type to get comfortable.

“Yes, I would say business is good, but I think we can do better. But I don’t think you’ll ever hear me say that I think we are hitting on all cylinders.”