DESERT OASIS: The Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California’s Coachella Valley is among the more scenic stops on the ATP and WTP tennis circuit. (indianwellstennisgarden.com)
Miami Open operation helped land account
Concessionaire Sodexo Live! has taken over food service at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, scoring another gem on the professional tennis circuit, multiple sources told VenuesNow.
Company spokesman Paul Pettas confirmed Sodexo Live! has added the tennis complex in Greater Palm Springs, California to its roster of sports venues.
Sodexo Live! replaces Levy, which ran the food at Indian Wells over the past two decades.
Sources said the new vendor won the Indian Wells account on the strength of its operation at the Miami Open tennis tournament at Hard Rock Stadium over the past five years. The NFL stadium and surrounding property are transformed into a tennis haven for the event after football season, bringing a greater number of operational challenges for Sodexo Live! compared with the sport’s traditional facilities.
Sodexo Live! also runs the food at the French Open at Roland-Garros in Paris, France, where it’s been in place for about 30 years, and this year, added a new marketing agreement tied to hospitality programs for the event. The concessionaire’s parent company is headquartered in the Paris suburbs.
Indian Wells plays host to the annual BNP Paribas Open, the biggest two-week combined event outside of the four Grand Slam events, including the French Open.
Indian Wells is consistently ranked among the best-attended Women’s Tennis Association 1000 and Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour Masters 1000 events across the globe.
The 2023 event drew attendance of 441,983, the first time in three years that fans were not required to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Two years ago, attendance was 330,794.
The 2019 event drew record attendance of 475,372.
The complex itself, situated 15 miles southeast of Palm Springs in the desert community of Indian Wells, opened in 2000. Tech billionaire Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, purchased the property in 2009. The 54-acre facility encompasses Stadium 1, with 16,100 capacity, and Stadium 2, a smaller, 8,000-capacity venue, plus 29 regulation hard courts, a member’s lounge and fitness center.
Under Ellison’s leadership, the complex underwent a $75 million expansion in 2014, which included construction of the smaller stadium and three new restaurants overlooking the court, 1,800 additional parking spaces and a shade structure for fans spanning 19,000 square feet.
Six years ago, Stadium 1 was renovated with new seating, a VIP Champions Club, suite improvements, new restaurants and concessions and a plaza equipped with a videoboard.
Indian Wells’ food operation extends to suites at the bigger stadium, equipped with 22 to 39 seats, and the NetJets Front Box Club, tied to premium seats in the stadium’s first three rows.
There are 21 restaurants across the complex. Under Levy, the the fine dining experience included Bistro 88, featuring Food Network star Jet Tina; Nobu Indian Wells, showcasing dishes prepared by James Beard chef Nobu Matsuhisa, plus Italian and Mexican concepts.
Next year is a big one for Sodexo Live! Apart from the BNP Paribas Open, March 4-17, the concessionaire will feed fans at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Elsewhere in Paris, Sodexo Live! runs all the food at the Eiffel Tower.
Editor’s Note; This story has been updated.
