State Farm Arena is one of the 'safest' venues in the country for food

ATLANTA — When you grab a bite to eat at your favorite sports venue, you might wonder: Just how safe is the food?

ESPN looked at health code violations at 111 venues around the country and ranked State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta as the second safest.

The ESPN study found that at 28 venues, half or more of the food service places had some high-level health violations.

Channel 2 Action News Anchor Carol Sbarge talked with management at State Farm Arena about what they do to earn such a high ranking. They said food safety is a big part of their fan experience.
 
Chief Operating Officer Thad Sheely said they were excited to learn of their good ranking.

TRENDING STORIES:

Sheely said it starts with a very knowledgeable four-star chef in charge who came from a renowned local restaurant -- Bacchanalia.

State Farm Arena got all new kitchen equipment and concession stands as part of its big $200 million renovation.

Sheely said their second biggest line items concerned their kitchens, pantries and how they serve food and drinks.

Management said they don’t focus on meeting code but instead on exceeding it, and that the goal is very important to them.

Cox Media Group