COON RAPIDS, Minn. (Oct. 11, 2013) — They didn’t invent the chicken, just the chicken sandwich. Chick-fil-A celebrated the grand opening of its Coon Rapids location in true Chick-fil-A fashion: the first 100 Chick-fanatics who showed up at the store’s 6 a.m. opening on Thursday, Oct. 10 were in for a tasty treat—free Chick-fil-A for a year. According to official contest rules, this equates to 52 meals: one Chick-fil-A Sandwich Meal per week for the following twelve months. A Chick-fil-A Sandwich Meal consists of a Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich, medium waffle potato fries and a medium drink.
Of course, making sure you are one of the lucky few requires some careful planning. “Some are camping overnight” explains franchise owner and operator Nancy Christman. “Later in the day we’ll… provide some fun for them, we’ll have a DJ, and play games, and do all sorts of fun things. The cow will show up, I’m sure,” she adds with a laugh.
The cow in question is in reference to Chick-fil-A’s “Eat More Chicken” campaign, led by some crafty cows aimed at getting people’s interest away from the burgers—and onto the chicken sandwiches. The Atlanta-based chain restaurant has been famed for its chicken sandwiches since it opened in 1967; there’s hardly any meat on its menu that isn’t poultry.
People from states as distant as Florida and California were present for the grand opening, as well as local Chik-fanatics, like Ramsey couple Jack and Pat Ringel. The Ringels had tried Chick-fil-A in Maryland, and were eagerly awaiting the restaurant’s arrival in Coon Rapids. “We’ve just been waiting and waiting and waiting for it,” Jack says with a smile. “It’s just been a real fun experience to watch it go up.”
There were also seasoned veterans anxiously awaiting the grand opening, like Southern California-based singing group Tha Way Out. The group of six sisters has toured 46 states and countless Chick-fil-As along the way, performing their original song at many of the locations. The girls’ mom wrote the song at midnight on the night before their first Chick-fil-A grand opening. Since then, the song has become a crowd favorite.
Of course, you don’t need to write your own jingle to enjoy yourself. While Christman values experienced Chick-fil-A connoisseurs, she is continually astounded by the response from first-time visitors. “The reaction they have is just incredible.”
