The new home of the Atlanta Falcons, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, is scheduled to open on August 26 when the team plays its first preseason home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Unfortunately for fans of the team, they will not be able to get their hands on Chick-fil-A’s sandwiches for a majority of the Falcons’ home games.
Chick-fil-A had a kiosk in the Falcon’s old stadium, the Georgia Dome. In the new stadium, as well as the Atlanta Braves’ new SunTrust Park, they have been upgraded to selling out of a concession stand. Since the company has its headquarters in Atlanta, they have been setting up licensed locations in the various sports facilities around the city.
However, even these licensed locations have to abide by the company’s role to be closed on Sundays. Chick-fil-A was founded by Truett Cathy back in 1946 when he opened the first restaurant in Hapeville, Georgia. He mandated that all restaurants be closed on Sundays so that he and his employees could have a day to rest and worship if they wanted to. Cathy made this decision based on his Southern Baptist beliefs and his prior experience working in other restaurants that were open 24/7.
A source told ESPN’s Darren Rovell that the digital signage at the Chick-fil-A concession stand will be flipped when it is closed on Sunday. Then the stand will be used by Levy Restaurants , a stadium concessionaire, to sell different non-branded food and items.
Falcons fans will only be able to eat at the team’s two preseason home games, which take place on a Saturday (August 26) and a Thursday (August 31). During the regular season, the Chick-fil-A will only be open on December 7, during their Thursday night game against the rival New Orleans Saints.
Luckily for Chick-fil-A, they do not really need the money. The company is generating the most average revenue per restaurant in America according to QSR Magazine . Ironically enough, fans will also not be able to get the official chicken of the Atlanta Falcons from one of Chick-fil-A’s biggest rivals.
Zaxby’s recently signed a five-year deal with the Falcons to earn the moniker and become sponsors, even though they do not currently have a location in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Besides the Falcons, the new stadium will also host Atlanta United of the MLS, as well as the Celebration Bowl and the Peach Bowl for college football. It will also play host to two Chick-fil-A kickoff games to start the college football season. On September 2 Alabama plays Florida State, while on September 4 Georgia Tech will face off against Tennessee.
[Featured Image by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images]
