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Bears host tasting event at Soldier Field to introduce Levy Restaurants partnership

Story by Gabby Hajduk, photos by Bailey Black

The Bears made a plethora of moves on the football field during the offseason, generating buzz both in Chicago and nationwide for the upcoming season.

At the same time, the organization worked to upgrade the overall fan experience at Soldier Field and create added excitement for gamedays. In April, the Bears announced a new multi-year partnership with Levy Restaurants — the acclaimed Chicago-based hospitality leader — to transform the concessions experience at Soldier Field for the team's home games.

To kick off the collaboration, the Bears hosted a tasting event at Soldier Field Wednesday, where media and influencers were invited to preview new concession spaces at the stadium and get a first taste of new menu items. Starting with the 2024 season opener against the Titans Sept. 8, ticket holders will experience these new offerings at every home game.

Several leaders from the Bears and Levy were present on Wednesday. The Bears were represented by President & CEO Kevin Warren, Executive Vice President of Stadium Development & Chief Operating Officer Karen Murphy and Senior Vice President of Fan/Guest Experience and Stadium Operations Lee Twarling. Former Bears defensive lineman and current suite holder Israel Idonije was also in attendance.

Representing Levy were CEO Andy Lansing, Chief Creative Officer Alison Weber and Executive Chef for Soldier Field Ryan Craig.

"It is special," Warren told the media. "You can see having a new partner in Levy, this means something to them, and it means something to us, especially them being from Chicago. We have known each other for many years, but this is the first time that we have formally worked together here with the Bears.

"I am excited about what they bring forth. I think you see today, they have some great food and not just the food, but the ultimate environment to be able to share. They did a great job at our preseason game against the Bengals and we are looking forward to having a really strong partnership together."

The event began with a bang thanks to a Chicago Bears drumline performance as media entered Soldier Field before 10 a.m.

Twarling and Weber spoke to the media before the concessions tour to give insight into the partnership between the Bears and Levy and provide an overview of the day's schedule.

Twarling called Wednesday a "special day" after the club spent months working on improvements to the gameday experience for fans. He thanked ASM Global and the Chicago Park District for being "a very important part of this entire journey" and expressed his confidence that "we landed in the right position with the right partner."

Weber discussed the initial request that Levy received from the Bears: "Show our fans how much we care about them and how much they care about the city and this team through food, beverage and hospitality at Soldier Field."

"Since we entered into our relationship in April," Weber added, "we have been working to change every single food and beverage experience here at Soldier Field. We have touched every concession stand, every portable and created new experiences for those fans."

Weber led the media through a walking tour to highlight the three key points Levy focused on while making upgrades to the stadium.

The first priority is keeping fans' eyes on the game by getting customers in and out of concessions lines quickly. With new grab-and-go stations at several locations throughout Soldier Field, fans can grab their own items and check themselves out, leading to a process that is three times faster than the typical concessions experience.

This season, the team will also be trialing mobile ordering in premium spaces within the United Club to further contribute to the Bears' goal of bettering fan experience and reducing foot traffic on gameday.

Another priority is giving fans the menu items they love the most in environments and spaces that clearly display what is offered. Simple signs near concession stands that read "cocktails" or "chicken" or "pizza" are clearly defined and allow fans to view their options efficiently.

The group's third priority was telling the story of Chicago throughout Soldier Field. That was partially done through classic Chicago-style menu items like hot dogs or Italian beef. Fans can also find small easter eggs throughout the stands' names that pay tribute to the city. For example, "Soldato" in Pizza Soldato is Italian for "soldier." Next to Pizza Soldato is 4 Star Favs, which is an homage to the four stars on the city's flag.

Levy also partnered with GG's Chicken Shop, a local restaurant in the city's Southport Corridor neighborhood, to add to the concessions experience.

Following the tour, media were invited to the Miller Lite Midway to taste some of Levy's newest food options. Murphy started with opening remarks for the group.

"We had a very extensive bid process and Levy came out ahead," Murphy said. "We were really impressed with their innovation. We love that they are local. We love that everyone we talked to were Bears fans and we knew they would be really invested in our stadium. We love a lot of their restaurants around town, so we knew they do a quality job."

Lansing shared his and Levy's gratitude for their newfound partnership with the NFL's charter franchise.

"To say that I and we are excited to be here might be the understatement of a lifetime," Lansing said. "All of these are really personal to me, but this one is really personal. You're looking at a third-generation Season Ticket Holder. I grew up going to games at Wrigley Field and then Soldier Field.

"The Bears have always had and will always have a special place in my heart, so this is sort of a 30-plus year dream for me and for the company to be here. When you add to the fact that our office is two miles down the road and I live four miles down the road and [I've driven] past here dozens and dozens of times throughout the years, you can only imagine how excited we are to be here."

Craig also spoke to the media to introduce the new menu offerings he and the Levy team developed throughout the last month. As a lifelong Bears fan who spent the last five years working with the White Sox, the executive chef called his new role "a dream experience."

"From coming here as a kid to finally working here and being here every day, it's still a 'pinch me' moment to walk in the door each day," Craig said. "I'm really excited to partner with great people. The Bears organization is wonderful and welcomed us since the very beginning, and even as we went through this whole process. It feels like a 'this is where we're meant to be' moment, a 'where I'm meant to be' moment as well. It's been nothing but great from the start."

Alongside Idonije, Craig gave the group a detailed look at what fans will be able to eat and drink at Soldier Field this season.

One of Craig's favorite items is the Odunze Dog — a jalapeño cheddar hot dog with Italian beef, giardiniera, spicy secret sauce and cheese crumbles. Levy partnered with rookie receiver Rome Odunze to create the special item.

Craig added that the Odunze Dog "combines Rome's past with his present" as the cheese crumbles are sourced from Utah, where the receiver was born.

Other featured items include the Pork Chopp'd Sandwich with brown sugar barbeque-glazed pork, chopped bacon and cucumber relish on a toasted butter roll and Carne Asada waffle fries with queso blanco, ancho marinated steak, pico de gallo and lime crema.

Idonije showed off the Bear Claw Pretzel, which is an ode to rookie quarterback Caleb Williams' infamous claw pose.

Craig called the pretzel a "labor of love" as it took the chef several attempts to get the item to his liking.

On the dessert side, the main event is the Bear Paw Donut which features a chocolate iced donut, vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, toffee pieces, orange and blue chocolate candies and whipped cream.

Levy has also partnered with Sugar Bliss—a woman- and minority-owned bakery in Chicago—to provide additional desserts like orange and blue macaroons and a Bear Claw Cookie.

Once Craig finished breaking down the menu items, Warren joined the tasting session and spoke with the media.

"The biggest thing that makes Levy special is they are focused on this season," Warren said. "They are focused on doing a good job and every single game means something to them. I keep going back to them being from Chicago. This is more than just another client and a customer. This is Chicago. This is the Chicago Bears. This is something that has been a long time going from their viewpoint. I know Andy and Jeff and other members of their organization are really excited to work here."