AUSTRALIAN OPEN fans will be charged up to £26 for a burger, chips and a drink at Melbourne Park.
Tournament organisers have brought popular American burger chain Shake Shack on site for the first time this year.
Many Aussies are buzzing to get their chops around the fast food which has taken the US by storm and even filtered through to the UK, where 17 locations have opened.
But their Australian Open feast will come at a cost.
Social media snaps of the menu show that the ‘Shack Stack’ burger is priced at a whopping 25 Aussie dollars (£12.50).
A portion of cheese fries is set at $12.50 (£6.20), and milkshakes are up to $13.90 (£6.90).
BURNT OUT
Tennis star shares topless picture after severe sunburn in Australian Open prep
Welcome offer
Get a £50 welcome bonus when you join Sun Vegas and spend £10
Chuck in a bottle of water and that will be another $5.95 (£3).
All told, fans can expect to pay $51.40 for the burger, cheese fries and shake, which is the equivalent of almost £26.
Tournament chiefs have been forced to go on the defensive after a wave of fan backlash.
A spokesperson said: “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.”
Although Shake Shack’s pricing is proving unpopular, fans feeling short-changed is not a new phenomenon at the year’s first Grand Slam.
Last year there was uproar at the Australian Open when a portion of fries with oregano and feta was set at $15.80 (£7.90) and a 375ml glass of Cider was priced at $13 (£6.50).
The main draw of this year’s Aussie Open gets underway on Sunday.
Jannik Sinner is fancied to win the men’s event for the third year running, with Aryna Sabalenka the firm women’s favourite in Melbourne.
Read the full article here
