Ryan Field announced a $5 concession menu and a roster of Chicago food icons on Wednesday, Sept. 9, less than a month before the approximately $875 million stadium opens in Evanston.
The new stadium's first game is Friday, Oct. 2, when Northwestern hosts Penn State. It will be the Wildcats' fourth game of the season and the first inside the 35,000-seat venue, one of the smallest in the Big Ten.
The concession program's centerpiece is "Willie's Fan Favorites," which the announcement called Chicago sports' first $5 menu. Hot dogs, burgers, nachos, popcorn and soft drinks each cost $5.
"A world-class game-day experience shouldn't be reserved for the few; it should belong to every fan," Pat Ryan Jr., CEO of Ryan Sports Development, said in the announcement.
Beyond the value menu, the concourse will feature Al's Italian Beef, tavern-style pizza made fresh on-site by Lincoln Park restaurant Pat's, jumbo Vienna Beef Chicago-style dogs and Garrett's Popcorn. A Chicago Steakhouse Burger made with USDA Prime beef rounds out the elevated offerings. Pricing for those items was not included in the announcement.
Every concession stand will operate as a "Two-Minute Market," a walk-in, walk-out setup using AI checkout technology from Mashgin. The system uses computer vision to recognize items without barcodes or cashier lines, aiming to get fans back to their seats within two minutes. The markets open directly to the bowl, so fans can keep an eye on the field while grabbing food.
The stadium also teased an "Evanston & North Shore Favorites" program that would give local restaurants pop-up access on game days. No details or timeline have been released.
The ticketed area of the new Ryan Field is 520,000 square feet larger than the old stadium, according to the Chicago Tribune. The playing surface sits below street level, and a canopy covers all seats. Head coach David Braun, during a CBS Chicago tour in July, said the intimate design would keep noise and energy focused on the field.
Single-game tickets for the Oct. 2 opener went on sale Thursday, Sept. 10, according to Northwestern Athletics.
