Jason Getz – USA TODAY Sports
If you’re heading to this week’s “Sunday Night Football” game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Atlanta Falcons, you’d better come hungry. According to the Sports Business Journal, all fans who come to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sunday will be treated to free food. Specifically, all 72,000 fans will receive a free hot dog, chips and Coca-Cola product in a commemorative cup. There’s a limit of two hot dogs per person, but you can have as many refills as you like on the drinks.
Some may be wondering why this is happening: It has to do with Falcons owner Arthur Blank being inducted into the franchise’s Ring of Honor on Sunday, so this could be seen as a way for the owners to pay tribute to the fans as Blank prepares to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
In anticipation of the move to offer free concessions on Sunday night and the likely massive demand that would accompany it, Levy Restaurants and the Falcons ordered 100,000 hot dogs and potato chips for the event. According to Sports Business Journal, 100,000 hot dogs is 10 to 20 times the normal sales volume and exceeds the 82,000 sold in all of last season.
The stadium has created 20 new distribution areas for hot dogs, and the organization also installed an outdoor kitchen with 12 ovens to accommodate the increased supply.
The Falcons have been praised for having one of the most fan-friendly environments when it comes to concessions. Thanks to Blank’s decision to keep prices low, the Falcons have ranked first in the league in food and beverages for the past eight seasons. On a typical game day, hot dogs, pretzels and popcorn cost $2 and beer costs $5 at the stadium.
In addition to Blank’s induction, former Falcons quarterback and current NFL on CBS commentator Matt Ryan will also be inducted into the franchise’s circle of honor.
