I went to this first 100 event at the new Falls Church Chick-Fil-A mainly to see for myself what really goes on at these events.
I got there about 5 a.m. on the Wednesday before the Thursday real opening. On the Chick Fil A home page on line they tell people to come before 6am. Only people who arrive before 6a.m. on the Wednesday before a thursday opening can take part in the lottery.
If more than 100 people show up they hold a lottery and hand out tickets with numbers and then 100 names are drawn. About 150 people showed up before 6a.m.
The catch is that those 100 "lucky" people have to stay all day and all night in a parking lot roped off like a pen. That is what they called it. A pen. Just like cattle or sheep or maybe chickens.
When I found that out I did not want to stay but I did just to see what unfolded. People yelled and screamed and high fived when their numbers were called.
Then they got a paper bracelet and had to go inside the restaurant and wait and fill out a sign a waiver against any legal claims they might make.
I was wondering what I would do if my number was called since I did not plan to stay for 24 hours in a parking lot.
Luckily my number was not called. Then then lady told us to wait and they would give to the remaining 50 or so people a coupon for a free chicken sandwich and also a free breakfast entree.
I felt like I had won because I could leave and the "lucky" 100 could not leave. They would be stuck in that parking lot for 24 hours.
I enjoyed the whole event though. The crowd was mostly 20 somethings. You have to be over 18 with an ID to prove it to enter.
There were a few older people there also. Not many. I wondered how many of the older people really would stay.One guy told me he had a doctor's appointment. I guess he will have to miss that.
Since winning only gets you one free meal a week for a year it hardly seems worth it.
One young person called it "Occupy Chick Fil A".
Then I went on down to my local McDonalds and ran into Orin Andrus and he told me he had been there the night before and they had had a special opening with free food. They let him in even thouogh some people had reservations for that event.
He had a really good meal and they gave him some free coupons to had out to his friends. He gave me and four other people coupons good for one Chick Fil A Chicken Sandwich.
So I will go back in the morning and see how the all nighters are doing and watch the real opening of the restaurant at 6a.m.
Several women were dressed in cow outfits({a chick fil a slogan is cows saying Eat More Chicken).
One of the cow outfits had a large fake set of udders in the stomach. Truly a bit of Americana. Nothing is too vulgar for Americans
Thursday morning 5:30 a.m. I went back up to the new Chick Fil-A to see how the event ended. All the overnight campers were getting up and bringing down their tents and rolling up their sleeping bags.
Many had large tents and many looked like they had brought their children and family members.
I found out that Chick Fil A had fed them breakfast lunch and dinner.
At 6am the first 100 were given white t shirts that said I Love Chick Fil A. Instead of the word love it had a large red heart. I heart Chick Fil A.
Then they lined up and were given paper hats like soda jerks used to wear. They were told to yell EAT MORE CHICKEN on the count of three.
There was a guy from ABC Channel 7 filming the event. I asked him "Are you sure this is news?
He said they cover every opening and he had been to many many of them.
The the first 100 went inside the restaurant and were given their prize. They got cards good for meals once a week for 52 weeks.
I noticed they all left right away and none of them stuck around. I guess they had already had breakfast.
Many of these people are Chick Fil A opening groupies who travel around like Deadheads going to every opening they can get to.
They were all very organized. So were the Chick Fil A people.
It is good to have them open here.
