The concession stand at Sports Pavilion Lawrence, which was formerly operated by Hy-Vee, will now be operated by Sandbar Subs, which will take over concessions for the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department.

A local sub shop is taking over concessions for the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department, including the café at Sports Pavilion Lawrence.

Sandbar Subs, which operates at 745 New Hampshire St., will begin providing concessions for the city next weekend. A Hy-Vee grocery store recently decided not to renew its contract for the service, and management at Sandbar Subs said they are excited to add concessions to their business.

“We’re really excited about being able to step in and take care of our young athletes,” said Wayne Ricks, who will manage the downtown location as well as the concessions.

The concessions contract, for which the city put out a bid this summer, covers Sports Pavilion Lawrence, Clinton Lake Youth Sports Complex, Clinton Lake Adult Softball Complex, Holcom Park Athletic Complex, as well as both the indoor and outdoor aquatic centers. Concessions at the sports complexes are typically provided when there are tournaments or multiple games scheduled at once, said Tim Laurent, recreation operations manager for the city.

The Clinton Parkway Hy-Vee provided concessions for the Lawrence Parks and Recreation facilities for the past five years. Hy-Vee management recently said it decided not to renew its contract, mainly so it could focus on its soon-to-open restaurant and bar, Hy-Vee Market Grille.

Ricks said the first event set to be served by Sandbar Subs will be an indoor swim meet Oct. 15-16 at the Indoor Aquatics Center. The following weekend Sandbar Subs will make its debut at the café at the Sports Pavilion.

“It’s definitely going to enhance the growth of the Sandbar Subs,” Ricks said. “And being able to promote what we do and help improve the healthy eating habits of the young.”

As of last year, all concessions have to meet the nutrition standards developed by the Parks and Recreation Department. The standards require that at least half of the food and beverage offerings meet specific guidelines regarding calorie, sugar and fat content.

At its downtown location, Sandbar Subs offers subs, soups, hot dogs, salads and sides such as pasta salad and chips. Ricks said the concessions menu isn’t yet final, but the options will have to be tweaked, because prep time needs to be shorter — about 45 seconds as opposed to 2-3 minutes — to allow concession lines to move quickly.

“It’s going to be close,” Ricks said. “We’re going to do everything we can to get it to where we are down here versus trying to change what we do.”