The Falcons yesterday unveiled a plan "sharply reducing prices on some popular food and beverage items for the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium," according to Tim Tucker of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. Team officials said that the "fan-first menu" will feature a number of items "priced at $2: soft drinks (with unlimited free refills at self-serve stations), Dasani bottled water, hot dogs, pretzels and popcorn." Pizza slices, nachos, waffle fries and bags of peanuts "will be available for $3," while a 12-ounce domestic beer "will cost $5." AMB Sports & Entertainment President Rich McKay said that the prices "will be in effect for Falcons games, Atlanta United soccer games and all other events in the new downtown stadium." McKay added that the concessions plan "is a response to fans' long-time complaints about high-priced stadium food, locally and nationally" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 5/17). Falcons and Atlanta United Owner Arthur Blank "stressed that the prices are not short-term, a gimmick to celebrate the opening of the stadium." Rather, they are "part of a 'core philosophy' to say thank you to fans for their loyalty" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/16). ESPN.com's Darren Rovell noted the Falcons "hope to make up some of the money lost on typical margins by doing volume." There "will be 670 concession points in the new stadium," which is 65% "more availability than the team has in the Georgia Dome." Soda refill stations "will be separate from lines for those ordering for the first time," while prices, including tax, are "right on the dollar, meaning there's no change to be made, thus speeding up the transaction time" (ESPN.com, 5/16).
FORWARD THINKING: SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Don Muret notes Fan First, an initiative to improve the fan experience, is "part of the organization's strategy, a directive from" Blank to "reimagine how fans consume an event." Blank said, "We need to make sure that when our fans leave the stadium, they have an experience that matches the incredible feeling of the stadium itself. A big part of it is food. It’s called ‘street pricing.’ You won’t have to pay more inside the stadium than you do outside the stadium." Many pro teams have "temporarily reduced prices during tough economic times, as well as given discounts for early birds and season-ticket holders." Muret notes what stands out at Mercedes-Benz Stadium is AMB Sports & Entertainment’s "long-term commitment to such a comprehensive program, considering the large number of items available and their distribution throughout the stadium" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/16 issue). AMB Group CEO Steve Cannon said that fan surveys "show that concessions rate in the top-three as the most impactful on the fan experience, but also the thing traditionally done the worst." Cannon "wants Mercedes-Benz Stadium to set a new benchmark" (SI.com, 5/16). Cannon said, "Essentially, we're going to reinvent the business model which we think is slightly broken and when you build a brand new stadium and you have the opportunity to start from scratch and say, ‘What are we going to do with fans,’ one of the biggest impacters on the fan experience is the concession experience and it's expensive. It's generally poor quality and it's delivered in a poor way. We're going to try to re-imagine that” (“Power Lunch,” CNBC, 5/16).
CLEAR SKIES: Blank yesterday said that good weather has construction of the new stadium "back on schedule." Blank said, "We had a great winter, actually a mild winter, and a beautiful spring, so the weather has fully cooperated." McKay also "confirmed workers 'started the fall significantly behind.'" He said, "Now all of a sudden our pace has really picked up. We're feeling pretty comfortable with where we are" (AP, 5/16).
