Beginner
The US Open is a big tennis tournament in New York City. It happens every year. But not everyone goes just for the tennis. Many people go for the food, too.
This year, the US Open has a huge amount of food. There are five restaurants. There are 70 food stands. There are 78 food carts. The theme this year is “Celebrating Our New York Story.”
Some new food comes from famous New York restaurants. One stand called Salt Hank’s sells a sandwich called a French Dip. Another stand called Cosme sells Mexican food. A third stand called Miznon sells Mediterranean food, like pita bread with meat or vegetables inside.
Old favorites are back, too. There is coffee from Lavazza. There is Korean fried chicken from a restaurant called COQODAQ. Famous chefs made this food just for the tournament.
Fans say the food is almost as exciting as the tennis.
Vocabulary
- tournament — a sports competition with many matches
- restaurant — a place where you buy and eat food
- stand — a small place that sells food or drinks
- theme — a main idea that connects many things
- famous — known by many people
- favorite — something you like the most
- chef — a person who cooks food, especially in a restaurant
- fan — a person who likes something very much
Comprehension Check
Discussion Prompts
- What is your favorite food to eat at a sports event or festival?
- Do you think food is an important part of enjoying an event? Why or why not?
- If you could bring one food from your country to a big event like the US Open, what would you choose?
Intermediate
While the US Open is best known for its tennis, the tournament has increasingly become a major food destination in its own right, and this year’s culinary lineup is its most ambitious yet.
The 2026 US Open, held at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, will feature five sit-down restaurants, 70 concession stands, and 78 food carts. This year’s culinary theme, “Celebrating Our New York Story,” highlights dishes inspired by the city’s diverse food culture.
New additions include Salt Hank’s, known for its French Dip sandwich, Cosme, a Mexican-inspired restaurant led by chef Enrique Olvera, and Miznon, a Mediterranean concept from chef Eyal Shani offering pita dishes like rib-eye roast beef and chicken schnitzel.
Returning favorites include Lavazza coffee, COQODAQ from chef Simon Kim, dishes from Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, and offerings from Jose Andres’ restaurant group. The tournament’s hospitality partner, Levy, coordinates the sprawling culinary operation each year.
For many attendees, sampling the food has become as much a part of the US Open experience as watching the matches themselves.
Vocabulary
- culinary — related to cooking or the kitchen
- ambitious — having a strong desire to achieve something impressive
- concession stand — a small stand that sells food or drinks at an event
- diverse — including many different types
- concept — an idea or theme behind something, like a restaurant
- offering — something made available, such as a dish or product
- hospitality — the friendly treatment of guests or visitors
- attendee — a person who is present at an event
Comprehension Check
Discussion Prompts
- The article suggests food has become almost as important as tennis for some fans. Do you think food plays a similar role at events in your country?
- Several of this year’s new food stands represent different cuisines, Mexican, Mediterranean, and classic American sandwiches. Why might event organizers want to offer such a wide variety?
- If you were designing a food lineup for a major sports event in your city, what dishes would you want to include and why?
Advanced
While tennis remains the primary draw at the US Open, the tournament has steadily cultivated a reputation as a premier culinary destination in its own right, and this year’s offerings represent its most expansive lineup to date.
Held at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, the 2026 US Open will feature five full-service restaurants, 70 concession stands, and 78 carts, all organized under the theme “Celebrating Our New York Story,” a nod to the host city’s famously diverse culinary landscape.
Among the notable new additions is Salt Hank’s, celebrated for its French Dip sandwich, alongside Cosme, a Mexican-inspired restaurant helmed by chef Enrique Olvera, and Miznon, a Mediterranean concept from chef Eyal Shani offering pita-based dishes such as rib-eye roast beef and chicken schnitzel. These additions join a roster of returning favorites, including Lavazza coffee, COQODAQ from chef Simon Kim, contributions from Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, and offerings from restaurateur Jose Andres’ culinary group.
The tournament’s hospitality partner, Levy, oversees the considerable logistical undertaking of coordinating dozens of vendors across the sprawling tennis complex, a task that has grown increasingly complex as the culinary program has expanded in scope and ambition.
For a growing segment of attendees, the tournament’s gastronomic offerings have become inseparable from the overall spectator experience, elevating the event beyond its athletic origins into something closer to a citywide food festival that happens to be centered around tennis.
Vocabulary
- premier — first in importance, rank, or status
- expansive — covering a wide area or scope
- nod — a reference or acknowledgment of something
- helmed — led or directed, especially of a restaurant or project
- roster — a list of people or things involved in something
- logistical — relating to the detailed organization of a complex operation
- gastronomic — relating to food and the practice of good eating
- inseparable — unable to be separated or treated as distinct
Comprehension Check
Discussion Prompts
- The article frames food as increasingly central to the US Open experience, describing it as approaching “a citywide food festival.” What do you think drives this kind of expansion at major sporting events?
- Consider the logistical challenge described in coordinating over 150 restaurants, stands, and carts. What kinds of planning and organization do you imagine are required to make an operation like this run smoothly?
- The tournament’s food theme intentionally reflects New York City’s culinary diversity. How might food choices at an international event shape the way visitors experience or perceive a host city or country?
Original story: “Headed To The 2026 U.S. Open? Bring Your Appetite” by Irene S. Levine, Forbes (August 5, 2026). Featured photo: Eden, Janine and Jim, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.