Missourinet Mornings–What people will do for a chicken sandwich (VIDEO)

I didn’t get the free chicken sandwiches for a year, but Lindsey bought me breakfast!

Anytime I can get out of the confines of the studio to bring you a Missourinet Mornings video I’m all for it. So when I heard people were setting up tents outside the new Chick-Fil-A restaurant that opened today at 6:30 a.m., I had to jump at the chance to check this out.

It reminded me from a couple of years ago when Arby’s opened in town and they had to rent shuttle buses that ran every half hour for a week from a nearby parking lot to the restaurant because they couldn’t handle the overflow of traffic…all for a roast beef sandwich.  So why were people camping out now for a chicken sandwich? I guess we don’t have much to look forward to here in Jefferson City?

Anyway, this morning, I ventured down the street from our studios to talk with three guys who spent the night in -1 temps, got their free chicken and then headed to work.  Was it worth it?  One guy hesitated with his answer.

As many as 65 people set up tents, 24 hours in advance of the opening of the new Chick-Fil-A

Rumor had it that Chick-Fil-A was giving away a chicken sandwich a week for an entire year to the first 100 people who showed up. Now that makes sense as to why people were camping out, right?

Hey look, who am I kidding.  I’m not going to bad mouth these people.  This is something I would have done if I was a little younger and not a wimp.  Yeah I would have slept outside to say I won free chicken. Sure, I would keep some of the coupons, but probably donate most to a local shelter.

During the day on Wednesday, Chick-Fil-A entertained the crowd of 65 with games.  They brought out a DJ to play some music and the atmosphere was pretty festive, according to marketing director Lindsay Ables.

However, once night fell and the excitement died down, that’s when reality…and cold temperatures set in.  Employees at the restaurant let the waiting customers come inside to warm up during the overnight hours.

The restaurant opened a few minutes before 6:30, and by the time I finished interviewing the three guys and got inside, all 100 of the free meals were given away.  In fact, it wasn’t just chicken sandwiches.  The first 100, received 52 coupons for free meals deals, a value of over $300 each, according to Lindsay.  I had to ask if any other fans from the SEC, like Georgia Bulldogs or Florida Gators, would be tough enough to sleep in cold weather like this for free food.

By the way…thank you for the free breakfast Lindsay!