Canada’s National Bank Open expanding and adding new culinary offerings.
Canada’s National Bank Open will shift to a 12-day Masters 1000 event this summer, and as Tennis Canada looks to make the third oldest tennis tournament in the world a true “Tennis Playground,” part of that shift features a fresh approach to the fans. That means a new menu.
Valérie Tétreault, Tennis Canada’s tournament director, tells me that it made a lot of sense to look at 2025 as an opportunity to really step every element of the National Bank Open up a notch. “It was important for as much of the things we’re changing on the tennis side, the fans also felt that coming to the site things were changing for the off-court experience as well,” she says, “and the best way to do that is through food.”
The Tennis Playground focus is a play off Montreal’s festival atmosphere throughout the summer, a mix of music and food. The Montreal IMG Stadium home of the National Bank Open—the tournament splits between Montreal and Toronto, with the ATP and WTA tourneys swapping sites each year—wants to embrace that feeling, signing a new hospitality contract for 2025 that brings in Sodexo Live! to handle most of the front-facing food and beverage service and allowing Traiteur Brera and Societe Traiteur to tackle some on-site restaurants, VIP spaces and staff and player dining.
A full National Bank Open at IMG Stadium is part of the vibe in Montreal.
“We wanted to do a complete revamp,” Tétreault says about the culinary approach. “Not one menu was going to stay the same this year. We want to become a true playground, not only for tennis fans but also for lovers of great flavors.”
Tétreault says that each entity will concentrate on its own business line, bringing a level of focus to the event. “From family weekend to championship weekend, the offerings need to please everyone, what they are looking for and their budget,” she says. “We took a deeper dive into making sure we looked at every experience and made the most out of them while staying accessible.”
Changes to the culinary offerings in Montreal include a new barbecue-focused area, a specialty cocktail and mocktail program, more accessible offerings and a new bistro with seating overlooking matches on Rogers Court.
“We didn’t have that offering yet,” Tétreault says about a court that is accessible to any ticket holder. “It has a view on the action right onto our second court. That is one that will be a big change for us.”
Carmen Callo, Sodexo Live! senior vice president and corporate executive chef, tells me that when taking over a new program they start from the ground up, kicking up classic items while introducing new concepts. “We try to make sure we have globally inspired foods complemented with really local flare, so they know they are in Montreal,” the chef tells me. He says they will have sustainable food choices, plant-based items, specialty diet-compliant options and will work with local vendors. “We are working with new suppliers, new ingredients, new vendors,” he says. “That is the fun part. Our chefs have been working on new recipes and new creations. It is best to start from a clean slate.”
Revamping the IMG Stadium site in Montreal is a focus for Tennis Canada.
The focus for the late July tournament will be on celebrating local cuisine while embracing a global audience in a summer environment. “We want to be reflective of where we are at,” Callo says. “We want to celebrate the local cuisine and local products, but we recognize we are going to have fans from all over, so want to take care of different palates and cuisines.”
Chefs will also incorporate the freshest summer ingredients to elevate everything from sandwiches and salads to creating recipes that may come unique for the season.
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Across the site, Tétreault says a new mezzanine project that opened its lower-level space last year to house all player health needs will reveal the second level this year, moving the media center away from the center court. “Everything is one place for media and creates this opportunity to give that prime spot back to the fans and create a better experience for them,” Tétreault says, adding that a current feasibility study is setting the stage for future infrastructure enhancements.
“That is something that is a big priority for us,” Tétreault says. “We see many other 1000s right now upping their game. We know we need to follow suit. We feel like we are falling behind a little bit.” While Tétreault believes the at-capacity center court throughout the event and overall tournament experience brings a special vibe to Montreal, the facility itself is aging, and rain has recently wreaked havoc on the schedule. It’s all something Tennis Canada is looking into right now, especially as the tournament expands into a 12-day, 96-player draw.
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First, though, the fan experience changes with the culinary offerings and Sodexo Live!, which handles the food at Indian Wells, the Miami Open and Roland Garros, is ready to bring a fresh perspective.
The final menu is still getting sorted, but already Callo says the barbecue concept that has the team smoking brisket and pulled pork on site with a range of signature sandwiches, the cocktail and mocktail program, new Mexican-inspired bowls topped with fresh salsas and guacamoles, and a seafood array with fish and chips and a New Orleans-inspired shrimp po’ boy are all bringing a new level of intrigue.
Being in Canada, you can also expect a fresh approach to poutine. “I know it is all about the cheese curd, where you’re sourcing that, double frying the fries and that brown gravy has to be spot on,” Callo says. “I’m confident that not only will the tourists enjoy it, but the locals will enjoy it.” And that Montreal-style poutine will get topped with the smoked meats from on site, all part of creating a Tennis Playground in Montreal.