An NFL trend? Arena concessions at fast-food prices

Falcons say fans spend more in the stadium

Before leaving the Georgia Dome for the new, state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz Stadium last offseason, the Atlanta Falcons evaluated their entire operation from top to bottom, pinpointing weak areas where they could improve to make the fan experience better.

Using a National Football League fan survey, the Falcons saw that satisfaction with the team’s concession offerings ranked near the bottom across the entire 32-team league.

So, the team decided to give its fans — most of whom have already spent hundreds of dollars on tickets and parking before they even entered the arena — a break on food by overhauling its concessions.

Dubbed the “Fan First Menu,” Mercedes-Benz Stadium now features cheaper stadium staples, including $2 hot dogs, $2 bottomless soft drinks, $5 cheeseburgers and $5 draft beers, for folks who spent an average of $363.11 per ticket last season — the second most-expensive ticket in the league, according to BizJournals.com. Across the board, the Falcons reduced the cost of food and nonalcoholic drinks by 50 percent.

The team expected a positive response, but what actually happened was a surprise, according to the AMB Group’s chief operating officer, Greg Beadles.

Fans spent 50 percent more on food compared with the previous season in the Georgia Dome, and