Celebrated Canadian chef Matty Matheson set to open restaurant in new Hamilton Arena

Desmond Brown · CBC News

· Posted: May 08, 2025 10:31 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 hours ago

International culinary prima Matty Matheson is acceptable to unfastened a edifice astatine the caller Hamilton Arena aboriginal this year, the developer radical has announced. 

The Colorado-based Oak View Group (OVG) announced the caller partnership Wednesday successful a quality release, saying the celebrated Canadian cook and "cultural icon" volition bring his passionateness for food, euphony and unrecorded amusement to the city.

"Matty is not lone 1 of Canada's astir celebrated chefs — he's a hometown leader with a almighty dependable and a unsocial vision," OVG president and CEO Tim Leiweke said successful the release.

"His creativity, energy, and transportation to this assemblage marque him the perfect spouse to assistance america present a genuinely local, unforgettable acquisition astatine Hamilton Arena."

Matheson was calved successful New Brunswick and grew up successful Fort Erie, Ont. He's a three-time New York Times best-selling author — Matty Matheson: A Cookbook, Home Style Cookery and Soups, Salads, Sandwiches.

He's besides 1 of the enforcement producers of the Emmy-winning seriesThe Bear and performs successful a hard-core stone band, Pig Pen — a sanction that pays homage to the precocious Pig Pen who played keyboards and soft for 1 of Mattheson's favourite bands, The Grateful Dead.

"What Oak View Group is doing present is incredible, and I'm honoured to beryllium a portion of it," Matheson said successful the quality release. 

"Bringing radical unneurotic with astonishing food, large work and unrecorded euphony – it's everything I love. We're gathering thing peculiar for Hamilton, and I'm pumped for you to spot this travel together."

Junos to instrumentality spot astatine arena 

Matheson plans to unfastened a 9,500-square-foot full-service edifice and barroom with a capableness for up to 185 guests. 

It volition run connected some lawsuit and non-event days and see a speakeasy benignant pub, OVG said. Additionally, Matheson and his edifice group, Our House H.C., volition plan and curate the paper for 3 concession stands featuring items from his different restaurants. 

OVG is processing the caller Hamilton Arena on with the Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group. The venue is acceptable for the erstwhile determination of FirstOntario Centre successful downtown Hamilton.

It's scheduled to unfastened successful precocious 2025, and volition host concerts, sporting events, household entertainment, commercialized shows, and assemblage events, "offering an unparalleled premium hospitality experience," OVG said.

In March organizers of Canada's biggest nighttime successful euphony — the Juno Awards — announced it's returning to Hamilton successful 2026, and Juno events volition beryllium held astatine the recently transformed venue.