The devoted fans of the chicken chain are pretty intense. They arrived at 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday for a 24-hour marathon. The first 100 people to claim wristbands and stay overnight get meal coupons for 52 free meals.
There was a DJ, free food, and the camaraderie of camping on cement.
"Are you kidding? I am a major raving fan. This makes 27 for me. I travel all over the country for Chick-fil-A," said Monique Hampton, a Chick-Fil-A fan.
"I had a couple of people from Florida show up as well, just to be here and camp out for 24 hours, to get that free Chick-fil-A for a year," said Chick-fil-A manager Brent Allen.
But there are those who despise this chicken chain for the very public anti-gay stance the founder took this summer. So for this restaurant's grand opening Thursday morning, there will be protesters. On their Facebook page, organizers say they want to educate the public about monetary donations made to homophobic and discriminatory organizations.
A protest didn't stop the first 24-hour fans.
"We'll probably play some board games, dream about breakfast biscuits and wake up ready to go," said Daniel Stallsmith, a Chick-Fil-A Fan.
The restaurant will open to the public after the campers clear out at 6:30 a.m. The protest plans to start at 9 a.m.
