Food Prices At The Super Bowl Are Going To Stay Butt Cheap
ESPN - Fans coming to see the Los Angeles Rams face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII will pay thousands for game tickets, but at least they can fill up on $2 hot dogs and some $5 beers once inside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Atlanta Falcons president and CEO Rich McKay reiterated the stadium would have its “Fan First Menu Pricing” for the 75,000 spectators expected to attend the Super Bowl on Feb. 3. Just like at a Falcons game at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, concessions will feature 12 popular food and beverage items — including $5 cheeseburgers, $3 nachos with cheese, and $2 refillable soft drinks — at lower prices than any other major professional American sports venue, plus without tax for easier concession-stand transactions.
Officials introduced the “Fan First Menu Pricing” when the $1.5 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened in August 2017. It was a vision brought forth by billionaire Falcons owner Arthur Blank, a vision resulting in immediate success in the eyes of stadium executives. McKay said that from the last year of the Georgia Dome through the first year at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the spending per customer went up 16 percent despite the 55 percent drop in prices.
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I would not have been one bit surprised if this is when the folks down in Atlanta decided to pounce. Decided to get that big payoff for keeping the food so cheap since they opened the stadium. Everyone would walk in expecting to buy 15, $2 hot dogs and then get slapped in the face when they are $7 each. But nope. Southern hospitality is southern hospitality, and the food prices at Mercedes-Benz Stadium will remain butt ass cheap for the Super Bowl:
I go to dive bars in NYC where you can’t get a Bud Light for $5. But it’s only $5 at the god damn SUPER BOWL. That’s actually incredible when you think about it. We’re talking about the Super Bowl, the most glitz and glamour and expensive sporting night of the year for both fans and advertisers, but if you’re there, you won’t be purged for food. You gotta respect that. Thank goodness Davey Pageviews doesn’t own the stadium, that’s for sure.
So hey, if you’re going to the game, you might be paying $3k or so to get in the doors, but $3 for waffle fries, you’re basically stealing at that point.
A hat tip to you, Mercedes-Benz Stadium people.