Press Room

EVANSTON, Ill. (July, 1 2026) – Levy, the Chicago-based hospitality leader, has been selected as the official food and beverage partner for the New Ryan Field at Northwestern University, opening this fall. The partnership unites Chicago’s Big Ten team and Chicago-born restaurateurs to create a unique fan experience at one of the most distinct and innovative college sports venues ever built.

Together, Northwestern University, Ryan Sports Development and Levy are designing a next-generation food, beverage and hospitality program across the stadium. Guided by a shared focus on highlighting the community and activating spaces in creative ways, cherished neighborhood restaurants will feature prominently alongside acclaimed Chicago chefs, and every detail will be crafted to showcase elevated hospitality.

“Ryan Field is truly a one-of-a-kind stadium designed to set a new standard for the college football experience and a year-round hub for our Evanston community,” said Pat Ryan Jr., CEO of Ryan Sports Development. “Levy’s experience, creativity, and deep understanding of hospitality sets them apart from the field, and the partnership will help us deliver the exceptional experience for our fans, alumni, and community the way this stadium is designed to do.”

“The opportunity to build an entirely unique fan experience and create new traditions at one of the first new college football stadiums built in the last few decades, right here in our backyard, on a campus that means so much to many in our Levy family, it’s incredibly special,” said Andy Lansing, CEO of Levy. "We’re beyond thrilled to collaborate with Ryan Sports Development and Northwestern University to ensure the experience amplifies this amazing venue and celebrates the community with wonderful food and beverage offerings. The Ryan Family and Northwestern have a vision for innovation, and it’s been remarkable watching it come to life so beautifully down to the finest detail.”

Customized & Local Culinary Experience, Where Innovation Meets Tradition

Over the past year, Levy has worked behind-the-scenes with Ryan Sports Development during the design phase to consult on the stadium’s hospitality infrastructure. Now the two are working together to leverage the intuitive design and create an activated experience at Ryan Field that taps into Levy’s restaurateur roots and sports hospitality expertise. Highlights include:

• Chicago’s most beloved dishes and flavors, from house-made tavern-style pizza to Italian Beef and deep dish from local icons
• A close-knit collection of Chicago’s best restaurants and purveyors, showcasing both renowned chefs and hyper-local neighborhood favorites from Evanston and the surrounding North Shore community
• Intricately designed club spaces that evoke the ambiance, immersiveness and energy of Chicago’s bustling restaurants, with tailored culinary offerings to match
• Open-air pregame and postgame festival grounds, inspired by vibrant, social event environments unique to college sports
• A fan-first value program, ensuring affordable, high-quality options are available
• Frictionless technology integrated within most concourse concession stands for added speed and convenience 

The partnership expands Levy’s presence at Northwestern athletic venues – the company currently serves fans at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium and Welsh-Ryan Arena, among other on-campus venues. Originally launching with a single delicatessen in Chicago’s Water Tower Place, Levy has grown into a global hospitality leader and remains headquartered on Michigan Avenue in Chicago’s Gold Coast. Levy leads the food, beverage and hospitality experience at nearly 20 sports and entertainment locations and restaurants around Chicagoland, as well as a market-leading network of iconic sports venues and events across the country. That includes blue chip college sports partners across every power conference.

Additional details about the food and beverage experience at the new Ryan Field will be shared over the coming months leading into the 2026 season. 

About Ryan Sports Group

Ryan Sports Group is the unifying force behind the Ryan Family's commitment to the world of sports and is acting as the developer of the new Ryan Field on a pro bono basis. What began with a passion for community and competition has grown into a multifaceted entity, involved in various sports ventures and development initiatives. Ryan Sports Group is led by Rob and Pat Ryan and includes professional sports team ownership, grassroots facilities development and investments behind the next generation of founders, technologies and media companies that will continue to drive the sports industry to new heights. Pat Ryan Jr. is the CEO of Ryan Sports Development. Rob Ryan is the CEO of Ryan Sports Ventures. For more, follow us on X, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About Levy

The disruptor in defining the sports and entertainment hospitality experience, Levy is recognized as the market leader and most critically acclaimed hospitality company in its industry. Levy has twice been named one of the 10 most innovative companies in sports by Fast Company magazine and has been honored by Forbes as a Best Large Employer, Best Employer for Diversity, and Best Employer for Women. Levy’s diverse portfolio includes award-winning restaurants; iconic sports and entertainment venues, zoos and cultural institutions, theaters and music festivals, and convention centers; as well as the Super Bowl, Grammy Awards, US Open Tennis Tournament, Kentucky Derby, Coachella and Stagecoach Music Festivals, and NHL, MLB, NBA, NFL, and MLS All-Star Games. For more, visit levyrestaurants.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and X.