Sports
Australian Open Food Prices
Tennis fans are gearing up for the Australian Open, which gets underway properly this Sunday, the 18th of January. It will be where the greatest in the game find out who they will play in the first round Down Under.
Jannik Sinner will be looking to win the final at Melbourne Park for a third consecutive year, though, he was beaten earlier by Australian amateur, Jordan Smith, in the Australian Open Million Dollar Event, a warm-up before the main show takes place.
However, what fans will not be happy to see is the prices they will be charged for a standard burger, chips, and drink combo.
Shake Shack Takes Over Australian Open
Event organisers have brought popular American brand, Shake Shack, Down Under for the first time. Shake Shack has been a revelation in the States and has been seen in 17 locations in the UK. It looks as if the powers that be from the company’s perspective have seen dollar signs in the potential amount of sales at one of the world’s premier tennis events, literally, as the Australian currency is the Australian Dollar.
The prices have been revealed through pictures of the menu being shared online. What will shift the most is the aforementioned burger, chips, and drink package, and those elements sit individually at 25 Australian Dollars (£12.50) for the “Shake Shack” burger, a further 12.50 AUD (£6.20) to add some cheese fries, and staggeringly, a standard bottle of water will be an additional 5.95 AUD (£3).
If punters want to get a milkshake as well, they will cough up 13.90 AUD (£6.90) just for that. For those not great at maths, that is a total of 51.40 AUD for the burger, chips, and shake, and 57.35 AUD with the water thrown in as well. In British terms, that is equivalent to £26 and £28.49 respectively.
Australian Open Defend Food Prices
The high prices have been defended by a spokesperson for the event, with one saying: “We work closely with our food and beverage partners to keep prices at the AO as close to what fans would find in their permanent restaurants and stores as possible.
“As a temporary pop-up, operating Shake Shack in Australia involves additional costs that do not apply to permanent restaurants. This includes higher local costs of goods and labour and the construction of a fully functioning temporary kitchen to meet Australian standards.”
It’s worth noting, however, that it won’t be the first time those that attend the event will feel they are being ripped off. In 2025, there was a portion of chips with oregano and feta, along with a 375ml of cider that was in the firing line. The chips were priced at 15.80 AUD (£7.90) and the cider was priced at 13 AUD (£6.50).
Shake Shack doesn’t have any permanent locations in Australia, and if that is their intention, these prices won’t mean they and potential customers get off on the right foot. However, if what the spokesperson said is true, which is that the prices are only that high due to the shop being a temporary pop-up location, a permanent arrival could see smiles on faces instead of frowns, like what there will be at the Australian Open.
