Solheim Cup Opening Ceremony will serve up creative cuisine

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - We’re a week away from one of the biggest parties our city has ever hosted. The opening ceremony for The Solheim Cup is expected to bring tens of thousands of people to downtown. Downtown Toledo will look a lot different in a matter of days as it’s transformed for the opening ceremony. It is the first time the opening ceremony has been held somewhere other than the golf course that’s hosting the tournament.

Planning for Fan Fest has been a massive undertaking on a lot of levels, and feeding people is a big piece of the puzzle.

“We’ve got 20 local restaurants and nine food trucks that will be here,” says Mary Brucker, the co-chair of the event. “Just about any food you want will be part of our footprint.”

Hosting large crowds at his restaurants is nothing new for Ed Beczynski, owner of The Blarney and Focaccia’s downtown, but this event is on an even bigger scale. His staff will be working overtime and double shifts and food orders will need to be filled in the next few days.

“We’re all so excited to be back. The alternative wasn’t good,” he says. “We’re glad to have to figure all the logistics out. It’s better than figuring out how to survive.”

The staff at The Chop House will be feeding people at multiple events connected to the opening ceremony. The food will be prepped at multiple restaurants owned by Mainstreet Ventures, and the workload will be spread out.

“All the local restaurants in our Mainstreet group will be involved,” says Mike Gibbons, the President of Mainstreet Ventures. “We will bring in workers from the three other Mainstreet restaurants in the area to support the effort.”

Brucker says while it will be a team effort on the course for the golfers, it’s also been a team effort for those involved with planning the downtown festivities.

“Every element of this we’ve had such collaboration from the city, ProMedica, and everyone involved,” she says. “It’s incredible to watch everyone come together for the good of this city. "

Click here for all the information you’ll need about The Solheim Cup Opening Ceremony and Fan Fest.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please include the title when you click here to report it.

Copyright 2021 WTVG. All rights reserved.