Gourmet food can be had at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, but it will cost you
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (FOX 10) -- The Waste Management Phoenix Open has something for everyone, especially for the foodies out there.
Aside from golf, food is a major part of the greatest show on grass.
"We are serving 62,000 chicken breasts this week, 13,000 pounds of deli meat that is going out on to the course for the six days that we're here. We're feeding 200,000 people over six days, 175,000 pieces of cookies, brownies and dessert bars going all over the course," said Michael Stavros, Director of BUsiness Development with M Culinary Concepts.
M Culinary Concepts handles all of the ordering, menus and preparation.
"We have over 200 culinarians here on course, as well as another set of culinarians at our facility 10 miles from here, working 24 hours a day to make sure we're stocked here," said Stavros. "When we build our kitchens out, we build them as full remote kitchens with all of the same equipment that we would have in our commissary kitchen at our main headquarters. So what guests are experiencing here is restaurant quality food that is made fresh on site, on the course and transported directly to their hospitality area."
The fanciest assortment of tasty treats can be found here at the Bay Club. The 60 luxury suites overlooking the 17th Hole gives the spectators the most elevated experience for hospitality, with private chefs, a top shelf open bar, and custom menus items.
The food here is a hole in one.
"Including freshly made pizzas. We have pizza ovens down below in our kitchens, so there's always at least three varieties of pizza per day," said Stabros. "We have freshly made deli sandwiches that change daily. We have paninis, hot presses making sandwiches fresh. In addition to a variety of hot noodle dishes."
The tournament went green on and off the fairway years ago, as part of a "Zero Waste" initiative. It inspired M Culinary Concepts to do the same, and the company now only uses biodegradable or compostable items. Also, all the unused food is donated to those in need.
"At the end of each day, we have food left over. If it's food that hasn't been served to the public and kept at the back of the house at proper temperature according to Health Code, we're able to then do what we call rescue that food, bring it back to our facility where every morning the following day, an organization called Waste Not sends trucks to pick up that food," said Stavros. "They then take that food and distribute it to upwards of 100 different organization in the Valley."
Last year, more than 18,000 pounds of food was donated, which fed more than 25,000 people. This just one of the many ways the open drives home the importance of giving back.
To get a spot at the Bay Club, it costs around $80,000 for the week.