ATLANTA — From gourmet food to just plain hotdogs and hamburgers, the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium will have pretty much anything a foodie could want – except for one thing! Well, on Sundays, that is.
Among the many restaurants and food choices that will open inside the new home of the Atlanta Falcons, is Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A.
And true to form for the restaurant chain, the new Chick-fil-A location inside the new stadium will not be open on Sundays.
According to the company's website, "Our founder, Truett Cathy, made the decision to close on Sundays in 1946 when he opened his first restaurant in Hapeville, Georgia. Having worked seven days a week in restaurants open 24 hours, Truett saw the importance of closing on Sundays so that he and his employees could set aside one day to rest and worship if they choose - a practice we uphold today."
RELATED STORIES:
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium sets records with historic technology
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium set for open house event
- TIME-LAPSE: Roof closes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
That includes the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium. When you look on the choice of restaurants on the stadium’s website (and there are many to chose from) under the Chick-fil-A tab, there is an asterisk saying it is closed on Sundays.
Only one of the Falcons' eight home games this season isn't on a Sunday -- a Thursday night game against the New Orleans Saints on Dec. 7.
Sources told ESPN's Darren Rovell the digital signage in the Chick-fil-A stand will be flipped when the stand is closed and it will be used by stadium concessionaire, Levy, to sell other nonbranded food and beverage items.
However, there will be plenty of events at the stadium for which Chick-fil-A will be open. Between Atlanta United soccer games, college football games and other events, Chick-fil-A fans will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy a chicken sandwich at the new stadium.
In a statement to Channel 2 Action News, the company said:
"We're always looking for ways to get Chick-fil-A to our loyal and passionate customers in the most convenient and personal ways. What better place than at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, particularly with the upcoming Chick-fil-A Kickoff Games, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and Atlanta United matches. We're excited to have the chance to serve customers at a number of other events taking place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium throughout the year, including non-Sunday Falcons games, concerts, and the many other marquee events this best-in-class venue will host."
Rovell also reports that Zaxby's recently signed a five-year deal to be the official chicken of the Falcons, but fans can't get that, either. Its products are not currently offered at the stadium.