Beyond the Baseline: The Hospitality Behind the US Open
How Restaurant Associates and Levy bring culinary expertise, operational excellence and exceptional service to one of the world’s biggest sporting stages.
For two weeks each summer, the US Open becomes the center of the tennis world. Millions of fans follow the action while hundreds of thousands of guests move through the grounds. Behind the scenes, two Compass Group companies help create the hospitality experience that extends from the player dining room to Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Together, Restaurant Associates and Levy demonstrate how Compass Group delivers hospitality at every scale, from personalized service for the biggest names in tennis to memorable food and beverage experiences for hundreds of thousands of fans. It’s a partnership with the USTA that helps make the US Open one of the world’s premier sporting events, both on and off the court.
This year, that work earned national attention when the New York Post highlighted the player dining program managed by Restaurant Associates. Designed to support some of the world’s top athletes throughout the tournament, the program blends chef-driven menus inspired by New York’s culinary scene with a hospitality experience tailored to the unique needs of players, helping them refuel, recover and prepare for competition at the highest level.
The player experience is only part of the story.
Across the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Levy helped turn the US Open into a culinary destination for the fans filling the grounds. As the USTA’s hospitality partner, the team supported a wide-ranging food and beverage experience from the Food Village to premium hospitality spaces that brought together celebrated New York restaurants, renowned chefs and fresh concepts for the 2026 tournament. This year’s lineup included newcomers such as Salt Hank’s, Cosme and Miznon, alongside returning fan favorites.
The impact of that work was evident beyond the grounds. This year, The New York Times described the tournament as “a food festival with a side of tennis,” reflecting how the fan experience Levy helps deliver has become as much a draw as the action on the court.
At the center of that experience is the Honey Deuce, the tournament’s iconic signature cocktail made with vodka, lemonade, and raspberry liqueur and topped with three honeydew melon balls. A favorite among fans and celebrity guests alike, the drink has become an unofficial symbol of the US Open. The official tally is still to come, but the final count is expected to land close to 900,000 Honey Deuces served during the 2026 tournament, underscoring the cocktail’s status as one of the most iconic beverages in sports.
Ahead of the tournament, Restaurant Associates CEO Ed Brown joined the TODAY Show to prepare the iconic Honey Deuce and several other dishes that have become synonymous with the US Open experience, including his signature crab cakes and heirloom tomato and watermelon salad.
Together, Restaurant Associates and Levy bring the US Open experience to life from both sides of the baseline. From fueling elite athletes behind the scenes to serving hundreds of thousands of fans across the grounds, their teams demonstrate how great hospitality can be both deeply personal and expertly executed at scale. That’s the standard Compass Group strives to deliver every day, wherever people gather.
About Compass Group North America
Compass Group is redefining the food and facility services industry through innovation, operational excellence, and a focus on what’s next. Serving premier healthcare systems, respected educational institutions, world-renowned cultural centers, popular sports and entertainment venues, and Fortune 500 companies, Compass Group delivers tailored solutions at scale. The company is consistently recognized among the world’s most admired companies and leaders in sustainability and innovation. Learn more at compass-usa.com.