Chick-fil-A to remain closed at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Super Bowl Sunday
ATLANTA (WCMH) — When the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams kick off on Super Bowl Sunday, fans will have many food options. Chick-fil-A won’t be one of them.
The fast-food chicken chain has two locations inside Mercedes-Benz stadium, but neither one will be serving chicken sandwiches.
Chick-fil-A has closed its restaurants on Sunday since it was founded in 1946.
“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,” the company says on its website.
The company has bent that rule a couple times, most recently in 2017, when passengers were stranded at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport due to a power outage. The company provided food at no cost to passengers.
John Mattioli, Chick-fil-A senior manager of partnerships and activation marketing, addressed the decision to not open for football games in an email to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
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.