Gillette Stadium Chick-Fil-A Open on Sundays?

It was a big week at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. The New England Patriots and their new head coach Mike Vrabel are getting ready for the NFL Draft, with a particular focus on which player they'll be selecting with the fourth overall pick.

Almost as exciting as a draft of Colorado dual-threat superstar Travis Hunter is a different kind of prospect: an addition to the Patriot Place lineup of restaurants.

Chick-fil-A Breaks Ground at Patriot Place

Chick-fil-A has broken ground at Patriot Place.

“This week’s groundbreaking ceremony was an exciting next step towards Chick-fil-A officially opening its doors at Patriot Place,” said Diana Griffin, Director of Marketing for Patriot Place.

The fast-food chicken joint will be a welcome addition to the dining options in Foxboro. While there are many food choices at Patriot Place, a vast majority of them are on the pricey side. It will be terrific to have a lower-budget option for food outside the stadium on Patriots game days.

Ah, but that's the problem.

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A Scheduling Dilemma for Chicken Lovers

While we won’t know the Patriots’ official schedule until next month, it's unlikely that a four-win team will attract many more prime-time matchups than it did last season. Exactly one regular-season home game wasn't played on a Sunday last season (against the Chargers, on the Saturday after Christmas).

All of the other Patriots regular-season home games were played on Sundays. Chick-fil-A restaurants are closed on Sundays. That means the Patriot Place Chick-fil-A location will be closed for seven out of the eight biggest days on the Gillette Stadium calendar.

A Curious Business Move

I have absolutely no problem with the company’s decision to close on Sunday. From strictly a business perspective, however, I do find it curious that the company would invest what it is investing to break ground on Patriot Place soil, only to miss out on revenue during nearly every single home Patriots game.

“Chick-fil-A shares our passion for customer service, giving back to our community and delivering a high-quality product, making this locally owned restaurant an incredible addition," Griffin said. "We know our guests are just excited as we are for this fall when Chick-fil-A opens for business, bringing their delicious and fresh food paired with their incredible hospitality to Patriot Place.”