Executive Summary
A longtime leader in global culinary, Patina Group set a new benchmark for premium food and beverage and experiential hospitality at the 45th Ryder Cup by delivering an elevated, guest-centric experience at an unprecedented scale. As the Official Catering Partner, Patina Group redefined the role of food and beverage at the Ryder Cup, transforming hospitality into a central, defining element of the guest experience.
What distinguishes Patina Group is its unique ability to deliver at scale without compromising the standards of a premium culinary and hospitality experience. By prioritizing quality, consistency, service excellence, and guest engagement, the team ensures every touchpoint, from exclusive chalets and suites to Partner Pavillion to shared hospitality environments, reflects a seamless and elevated expression of the event.
Patina Group also prioritized accessibility and inclusivity, ensuring high-quality food and beverage extended beyond ticketed guests to Team USA, Team Europe, media and volunteers alike. By pairing operational excellence with a clear vision for elevated guest experience, Patina Group redefined the possibilities of large-scale event dining. The result was not only a standout program at one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events, but a forward-looking blueprint for the future of premium food and beverage and experiential hospitality.
Submitting Organization: Patina Group
Detailed Nomination
Overview:
As the official catering partner of the PGA of America, Patina Group led the full-scale food and beverage program supporting the Ryder Cup held at Bethpage Black on Long Island, New York, from September 23 – 28 2025. Spanning more than 1.5 million square feet of constructed event space, the operation included 16 onsite kitchens, 64 chalets, 64 suites, and six triple-decker hospitality clubs designed to serve thousands of guests daily. Patina Group served as the single-source hospitality provider, overseeing premium venues, concessions, player and family dining, and catering for media, staff, and volunteers. This unified operating model ensured consistency in quality, service, and execution across every environment, representing a meaningful evolution from traditional multi-vendor event structures.
Innovation & Impact:
Patina’s approach reimagined large-scale event catering through a “pop-up culinary campus” model, delivering restaurant-quality food in a fully temporary setting. All food was prepared fresh onsite using never-frozen ingredients, supported by executive chefs from around the world representing Patina Group and its parent company, Delaware North, flagship venues.
Customization at scale was a defining hallmark of the program. Each hospitality environment featured distinct menus and service styles, complemented by elevated presentation and interactive culinary moments, creating a layered guest experience that felt both personalized and cohesive. The program also balanced local authenticity with global relevance, incorporating partnerships with New York–based farmers and suppliers while collaborating with PGA of America to meet the needs of players and guests from diverse backgrounds. This thoughtful integration reinforced both authenticity and inclusivity on a global stage.
Results & Success Metrics:
Patina deployed a team of more than 2,000 to deliver a seamless, high-quality food and beverage program across all Ryder Cup venues, maintaining a premium standard at every guest tier.
For Ryder Cup+ and general admission, traditional concessions were elevated with chef-driven offerings like an 8 oz. Butcher’s Grind cheeseburger on a Martin’s Potato Roll and grilled chicken sandwiches with pickle slaw and chipotle ranch on a potato roll, ensuring even the most accessible tier reflected a thoughtful, restaurant-quality approach.
Across hospitality environments, menus showcased a refined, culinary-forward perspective, drawing from Patina’s broader restaurant portfolio and featuring standout dishes such as Wellfleet oysters with tequila–Fresno chili mignonette, lobster fra diavolo, Croque Madame with black truffle and confit egg yolk, and tomahawk rib chops with wild mushrooms and signature mac & cheese. Premium additions further elevated the experience with a raw bar & sushi station, passed food and beverage pairings including shrimp po’ boys with Cajun bloody marys, and mini bar selections such as bourbon-glazed chicken wing lollipops.
Chef-driven breakfast offerings extended the same elevated approach, including beef tenderloin breakfast burritos, Italian sausage frittata sandwiches, and shakshuka with cage-free eggs, while dessert service blended local character with indulgent classics like DiLina Dolcini cookies, lemon-raspberry tarts, espresso brownie parfaits, classic cannoli, local gelato and sorbet, complemented by nostalgic confections such as salt water taffy, Tony’s Chocolonely, and Sigmund’s Pretzels.
Ultra-premium environments delivered a restaurant-caliber dining experience with dishes like pepper-crusted prime New York strip, roasted lamb loin with citrus-mint gremolata, artichoke and goat cheese ravioli, and a curated global cheese and charcuterie program.
The beverage program reinforced the elevated positioning through a curated selection of partners including Elijah Craig, Goslings, High Noon, Tito’s, and Moët & Chandon, alongside William Hill wines and a robust non-alcoholic offering.
Supported by 262 points of sale across 18 bar locations, the operation ensured efficient service and consistent guest access at scale. The all-inclusive Ryder Cup+ program further expanded access to these elevated offerings, delivering a cohesive and premium hospitality experience throughout the course.
Industry Influence:
Patina Group’s execution at the Ryder Cup represents a defining advancement in premium hospitality strategy and a new benchmark for the industry at large. Through the successful implementation of a fully integrated, single-provider model, Patina demonstrated that operational scale and elevated guest experience are not mutually exclusive; they are most powerful when intentionally designed together.
In doing so, the team challenged the long-standing industry assumption that scale requires compromise, proving instead that high-volume service can deliver with the same culinary creativity, precision, and experiential sophistication expected of the world’s finest hospitality brands.
As global events continue to expand in scale and ambition, Patina Group has established a forward-looking blueprint for the future of event hospitality, one in which food and beverage is no longer a supporting function, but a defining driver of guest satisfaction, brand equity, and competitive differentiation.
