Heading into a season where the Pacers will experiment with new rotations while star point guard Tyrese Haliburton recovers from an Achilles injury sustained in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, at least one lineup at Gainbridge Fieldhouse has already been set.

Pacers Sports and Entertainment on Tuesday announced Gainbridge Fieldhouse’s Guest Chef roster for the 2025-26 NBA season, during which eight Hoosiers chefs will alternate running The Kitchen concession stand in Section 17 of the Fieldhouse. Established in 2021 with Levy Restaurants and sponsor KeyBank, the program this year includes chefs who oversee restaurants, catering companies and even culinary training programs.

“This initiative not only highlights the creativity of small business owners but also strengthens the cultural fabric of our neighborhoods,” KeyBank Central Indiana Market President Juan Gonzalez said in a written statement.

Serving a frenzied crowd of basketball fans, many of whom may have come expecting nachos and Miller Lite tallboys, poses a stark change of pace for restaurateurs like Bhavna Thapar and chef Neeti Chaudhri, who co-own The Little India in SoBro. To ease in newcomers to Indian cuisine, the duo plans to serve familiar Indian dishes like chicken tikka masala with rice.

“It’s important to us to make Indian food accessible,” Thapar said.

And though slow-simmered curries may not seem conducive to a concession stand setting, Chaudhri is determined to pull it off.

“We want to make sure every little bite is restaurant-quality even though hundreds of people will be coming through,” she said.

The concourse operation may be more familiar for Tasha and Ross Tague, co-owners of the Gals Fresh Fish food truck. Tasha, an Indy native and former St. Elmo bartender, said she uses the same batter recipe her father uses at his restaurant in Tennessee for her fried fish. Like many cooks, Tasha believes one ingredient sets her version apart.

“It’s the love we put in the breading,” she said.

Matters of the heart — and, naturally, the stomach — are well-trod territory for the Guest Chefs, but money matters are not always intuitive in the unforgiving restaurant industry. Last year, KeyBank began offering financial education to chefs in the program to give them the tools to grow their businesses.

Even with the support of KeyBank, Levy and the Pacers, the Guest Chefs will still face a distinct challenge that’s hard to prepare for outside of a packed basketball arena. Thapar of Little India, for one, plans to handle the halftime rush with careful preparation that should carry her and Chaudhri through the first few waves of eaters.

“And then we’re just running on pure adrenaline after that,” she said.

See the full Guest Chef Program lineup for the 2025-26 Pacers season

Each of the following eight food vendors will serve food from The Kitchen stand on the Main Concourse of Section 17 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Each vendor will appear at five or six sporting events, primarily Pacers home games but occasionally others hosted at Gainbridge. The Pacers kick off their home slate at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 23 in a Finals rematch against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Chef Natasha Williams of The Coney Lady food cart will serve hot dogs and othe concession bites Oct. 23, 26, 31 and Nov. 1.Chefs Thapar and Chaudhri of The Little India will serve tikka masala and other Indian fare Nov. 3, 5, 15, 19 and 24.Chef Larry Curd of the Golden Spatula will serve comfort dishes like wings and egg rolls Nov. 28 and 29 and Dec. 1, 3, 6 and 8.Chef LaToya Williams of the Grub House restaurant in the Near Northside will serve soul food like wings, macaroni and cheese and fried biscuits Dec. 18, 20, 23, 26 and Jan. 2 and 6.Chef Tyler Williams of The Cooking Besties catering will serve Southern-inspired dishes Jan. 10, 12, 14, 16 and 28.Private chef Aries Crowell, aka the Zodiac Chef, will serve high-end charcuterie Jan. 31 and Feb. 2, 3, 22 and 24.Chef Tasha Tague and co-owner Ross Tague of Gals Fresh Fish will serve fried fish Feb. 26 and March 1, 12, 13 and 18.Chef LaQuisha Jackson of South Bend-based Soulful Kitchen will serve a variety of dishes March 25 and 27 and April 7, 10 and 12.

Contact dining reporter Bradley Hohulin at bhohulin@indystar.com. You can follow him on Twitter/X @BradleyHohulin and stay up to date with Indy dining news by signing up for the Indylicious newsletter.