Chick-fil-A opens in Warrenton
By Hilary Lewis
Forget cats and dogs. It rained chicken on the 100 people who stood in line to receive free Chick-fil-A for a year at the restaurant's grand opening on Thursday, March 20.In a parking lot covered with tents, tarps, and umbrellas, chicken lovers from near and far battled pouring rain for hours, hoping to receive one of the 52 coupons worth $300 in Chick-fil-A combo meals.
The line to be one of the fortunate 100 began forming at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning and didn’t disperse until 6:30 a.m. Thursday, when owner Paul Brock officially cut the ribbon on his new restaurant.
"I pulled up at 8 a.m. yesterday and there were 15 tents already set up, and people were pouring in,” he said. “It's been fun.”
Chick-fil-A’s ”First 100 Fans” promotion began in 2003, and has distributed $7 million in free food. Today, Chick-fil-A is the second-largest chicken restaurant chain in the country, with more than 1,375 locations in 37 states.
"People are crazy about our food,” Brock said. “We have a unique product. It's top-of-the-market, but also we are known for our service. It's where, when you walk in the door, you're not just here for a good chicken sandwich; you're here for the experience, the atmosphere."
Two Fauquier residents, Jake and Libby Knupp, are especially crazy about the food at Chick-fil-A. The retired Midland couple, who now have a condo in Florida, were first in line on Wednesday. This marked the 12th grand opening for the Knupps in less than a year.
"Where else can you go and make $300 a day?” said Libby, 67. “That's what these coupons are worth. You’ve got to do something, and we're seeing the country, going to places we wouldn't normally."
The Knupps drove more than 1,000 miles to get to the Warrenton restaurant from another grand opening in Georgia. They were the first ones in line there, too.
"There's just no better fast food than Chick-fil-A," said Libby. "We love it.”
The couple got into Chick-fil-A chasing last July, when the Atlanta-based chain held a grand opening in Culpeper. They were 33rd in line there and since have put more than 29,000 miles on their car, driving from state to state, up and down the East Coast.
"Our children think we're nuts because we do this," said Jake, 69. "But they don't mind getting the coupons."
The high school sweethearts have been married for 48 years and have two sons and three grandchildren. They see their hobby as an adventure.
"We both really look forward to it. If we don't have one to go to, it's a bad week," said Jake. He carries a bag full of newspaper clippings and photos from their travels, which they don’t see ending anytime soon.
The Knupps have already planned to attend three more grand openings in the next three weeks, two in Virginia and one in Delaware.
"We say when we come to one that the only way we're going to leave is on a stretcher," they joked. "The rain certainly is not going to keep us away. You look around and it's a rainy day, and these people are out here throwing a Frisbee around."
Indeed the pouring rain did not stop a group of James Madison University students from getting their free Chick-fil-A. College students occupied the majority of the spots in the line, no doubt attracted by free meals and a merry atmosphere.
"It's just something different," said Laura Morgan, 20. "I heard that a Chick-fil-A is opening and said wow, that would be some random fun. The free food is just a plus."
Morgan’s group arrived shortly after 2 p.m. on Wednesday, just after the line had hit 100. She hoped someone would lose their spot in line so she could fill it.
"There's a big stack of rules,” said Brock, “but, basically, once you receive a ticket to be one of the first 100, you cannot leave. You must stay within our parking lot until the next morning, and in that period, people play football, watch movies and hang out."
Taking a Chick-fil-A skip day meant plenty of fun for the college students. They were entertained all through the night with bingo, musical chairs, karaoke and a live D.J.
"The rain kind of stinks," said Bryan Graham, 19. “But getting to hang out with all of my friends is probably the biggest reason why I’m here.”
And with 52 Chick-fil-A coupons in his pocket the next morning, the free food didn’t hurt, either.
E-mail the reporter: hlewis@timespapers.com .