If you’re going to this week’s “Sunday Night Football” showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons, you better come hungry. Every fan that will be in attendance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sunday will be receiving free food, according to Sports Business Journal. Specifically, all 72,000 fans will receive free hot dogs, chips, and Coca-Cola products in a souvenir cup. There is a two hot dog limit per person but unlimited refills on drinks.
Why is this happening, you may ask? It revolves around Falcons owner Arthur Blank and his entry into the franchise’s Ring of Honor on Sunday. So, this can be looked at as a tip of the cap by ownership to the fans as he gears up for his enshrinement.
In anticipation of this move to have free concessions on Sunday night and the massive demand that will in all likelihood ensue, Levy Restaurants and the Falcons have ordered 100,000 hot dogs and bags of chips in preparation for the event. The 100,000 hot dogs are 10-20 times the usual sales volume, according to Sports Business Journal, and eclipses the 82,000 sold in all of last season.
The stadium has also created 20 new distribution areas for the hot dogs, and the organization has created an outdoor kitchen that has 12 ovens to handle the increased supply.
The Falcons have already been lauded as one of, if not the most fan-friendly environments from a concession basis. They’ve ranked No. 1 in the league on food and beverage for the last eight seasons, thanks in part to Blank’s decision to keep prices low. On regular game days, the stadium charges $2 for hot dogs, pretzels, and popcorn, and $5 for beer.
On top of Blank’s induction, former Falcons quarterback and current NFL on CBS analyst Matt Ryan will also enter the franchise’s Ring of Honor.