Last season, I did a significant amount of complaining about the food at Camden Yards.

But there have been some standout dishes this year, including loaded fries, homemade doughnuts and smashburgers, to name a few. They have one thing in common: They’re from local businesses. The Local Fry, Deddle’s Donuts and Fuzzies all now have stands at the ballpark.

Given the sheer number of great restaurants and eateries in this city, I’ve been curious to know why there aren’t even more Baltimore-based vendors at the Yard — and what the plan is for next year. Namely: Could big-name players like Ekiben join the starting lineup? Could Attman’s?

For small-business owners, whether to open up at Camden isn’t always a straightforward decision. Levy Restaurants, the Chicago firm that manages concessions at the ballpark, keeps a significant chunk of whatever sales they might make, so entrepreneurs need to decide if that price is worth the cost of doing business. A spokesman for Levy wouldn’t confirm the percentage the company takes, citing confidentiality agreements.

Deddle’s Donuts, which sells mini doughnuts fried on the spot, “fits very well” with the ballpark atmosphere, said owner Robin Holmes. Her ballpark stand is performing so much better than her other location in Lexington Market that she’s considering closing in the downtown food hall. “It’s going to be a hard decision to make when it comes time to renew” her lease, she said.

It helps that attendance at the ballpark has been climbing as the Orioles perform better than they have in years.

“We’ve been seeing out-of-towners are now coming more,” Holmes said. “You can just see all the Baltimore love.” And you can skip the line for Rita’s Italian Ice: Holmes is planning to serve snowballs at Deddle’s as soon as this weekend. She’s definitely in for next year.

When Local Fry owners Kevin and Liz Irish decided to open up two stands at the ballpark, they weren’t all that concerned about making a profit. They’d get their delicious loaded fries in front of not only Marylanders from all over the area, but visitors from across the country. Marketing is a priority for the business, which is in the process of franchising. As long as it broke even, a ballpark presence would promote their Hampden restaurant and offer national-level exposure at a time when they have signed agreements to launch in Georgia, New Jersey and Northern Virginia, as well as a new location in Northwood Commons in October.

That’s how Attman’s Delicatessen owner Marc Attman views things, too. When customers see Attman’s, which operates regular pop-ups at the ballpark, it connects the 109-year-old eatery with another longstanding Baltimore tradition: baseball. Though the New York-style deli raises prices by about $1.50 per sandwich to help cover costs, fans tend to understand the price hikes, Attman said.

“My purpose at the ballpark is to break even,” he said. “I’m there for the free advertising that I get.”

While Levy recently booted Attman’s from M&T Bank Stadium, Attman said he is planning on operating permanently at Oriole Park next year. “I haven’t heard for sure yet. I would hope to be there.”

But marketing isn’t as important for Ekiben, says co-owner Steve Chu. The restaurant already has 62,000 followers on Instagram and has made it to Yelp’s Top 20 list of best places to eat in the country. People know who they are.

Still, customers have been salivating over the possibility that the beloved local chain known for its tofu, tempura and fried chicken, could become a fixture at the ballpark since earlier this year, when Chu and partner Ephrem Abebe appeared decked out in O’s gear in a video announcing a series of pop-ups at the stadium’s concession area. Chu said they would love to open a permanent stand, “but it has to make financial sense for us as a growing company.”

In order to make money at Camden Yards while covering the restaurant’s high food and labor costs, Ekiben would need to raise prices, which are already steep. The restaurant’s neighborhood bird with bun costs just under $14; the bowl version, served with rice, costs almost $18.

For him, the question comes down to whether Ekiben’s customers are willing to pay $24 for a fried chicken sandwich during an Orioles game.

Halfway through his rookie season at the ballpark, Kevin Irish says that the Local Fry’s run there has been a hit. Ballpark-goers who stop by their stands have turned into customers at the Hampden shop. Soon, they’ll be adding crabs on fries, a new menu item, to their stadium offerings.

The best part about the Camden Yards location? “We are making money,” Irish said. “That’s obviously a win-win situation.”