NYCFC picks Marcus Samuelsson burger concept for Etihad Park launch
New York City FC has named chef Marcus Samuelsson’s new burger concept as the first signature food and beverage offering for Etihad Park, setting the commercial tone for matchday dining ahead of the stadium’s 2027 opening.
New York City FC has unveiled the first signature food and beverage concept for Etihad Park, appointing chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson to create a dedicated burger offer designed specifically for the club’s new stadium in Queens.The move positions premium food as a core pillar of the venue strategy, using chef-led concepts to differentiate the matchday experience and create year-round revenue drivers beyond football.NYCFC chief executive Brad Sims said: “From the beginning, we’ve said Etihad Park should feel like New York City. That means it should taste like it too.”“Announcing Marcus Samuelsson’s first dedicated burger concept in New York City as our first signature food and beverage offering says exactly what we want this stadium to be: a place where world-class soccer and culture come together in a brand-new way that feels authentic to this city.”Samuelsson, whose restaurant portfolio includes Hav and Mar, Metropolis and Red Rooster Harlem, will bring what the club describes as a New York City-rooted approach to a high-volume stadium category with clear sponsorship and activation potential.Marcus Samuelsson said: “As a lifelong soccer fan and former player, it is very exciting for me to launch a brand-new burger in New York City’s first soccer stadium.“New York City is passionate about its teams, traditions, and the many cultures that make it like no other place in the world. It is a dream to be a part of this new chapter for the Club that I have supported for years, for the fans who love the sport like i do, in the city that has been my home for decades.”The burger concept is the first in a planned series of chef-led offers that NYCFC expects to announce as it builds a food programme aimed at reflecting the city’s diversity and local dining reputation.Commercially, the approach creates multiple monetisation levers, including premium pricing, experiential packaging, branded content, merchandise potential and partner integrations that can extend into non-match events.The club said the stadium will also include the Five Boroughs Food Hall inside Paze City Square, a curated line-up of ten local small businesses representing cuisines across all five boroughs.Legends, which is supporting hospitality delivery, pitched the programme as a rotating discovery experience rather than a standardised concessions model.Legends Global president of hospitality Tom Funk said: “Marcus Samuelsson’s debut burger concept in New York City is a great reflection of the culinary program we’re building with New York City FC.“Each matchday and event will offer fans something new to taste and discover, and we’re excited for them to see what comes next.”Etihad Park is being developed at Willets Point and is scheduled to open in 2027 as a privately financed 25,000-seat venue, which the club has described as New York City’s first soccer-specific stadium and the first fully electric outdoor sports stadium in the United States.