"Bastian, it turns out, is not just any high-end chef, and this is certainly not just any big kitchen. He's the senior vice president of culinary for Levy Restaurants, the food and beverage operator for Levi's Stadium. And come Sunday, he and a team of 50 chefs and 2,500 hospitality workers will be cooking for some 70,000 Super Bowl attendees with pockets deep enough to justify $8 water drinks."
"Whether those attendees fill up on $10 hot dogs and $17.50 cans of lager or a colossal $180 braised beef shank dubbed Thor's Hammer, Sunday is going to be a wild, wild ride for Bastian: a sweat-inducing, backbreaking 12-hour day crisscrossing the stadium's six kitchens. They've staffed up, crunched more data than a tech company and prepped more food for one night than you'll do in a lifetime of holidays - and yet, no one seems that stressed."
"'We're the best logistical chefs on the planet, I think,' Bastian told me during an exclusive, behind-the-scenes visit. 'We have to be.' For the past 25 years, Bastian and his Levy colleague, regional executive chef Jon Severson, have been at the forefront of the American stadium food evolution; they've watched it grow from the days of Crock-Pot chili to restaurant-quality sushi, rooftop gardens and pastry programs - all of which a"
Lou Bastian is senior vice president of culinary for Levy Restaurants at Levi's Stadium, leading a team of 50 chefs and 2,500 hospitality workers preparing for roughly 70,000 Super Bowl attendees. The operation spans six kitchens and requires a physically demanding, 12-hour day with intricate logistics and extensive staffing. Menus range from $10 hot dogs and $17.50 cans of lager to luxury items like a $180 braised beef shank. The team uses data-driven planning and large-scale prep to stage more food for one night than typical annual holiday cooking. The stadium food program has evolved from Crock-Pot chili to restaurant-quality offerings including sushi, rooftop gardens and pastry programs.
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