A new Chick-fil-A opened outside Dumfries, but not before hundreds camped out in frigid cold temperatures to win free food.
The new restaurant is located near the intersection of Route 234 and Van Doren Road, near Interstate 95. It opened Thursday morning after a what was a long night for the Chick-fil-A faithful who slept in tents in what felt like zero degree weather in a marketing stunt.
Here’s what Chick-fil-A spokeswoman Tiffany Simmons had to say about the opening:
The opening was a success! We had 150 people show up on Wednesday morning to participate so we had to do a drawing and select 100 people (plus 10 alternates) out of that group. Folks hunkered down after the drawing and retreated to their tents because of the cold weather! Two out of the 10 alternates were able to secure a years worth of food due to 2 people dropping out overnight.
Fun times overall. The marketing team made sure the participants stayed warm by passing out hand warmers, and playing games where people could win a hat, gloves, scarf or extra minutes inside of the restaurant to warm up.
A ribbon cutting was held after the restaurant opened its doors to the public. Prince William Potomac District Supervisor Maureen Caddigan and Dumfries Mayor Gerald Foreman were there.
The Chick-fil-A restaurant is the first location for the fast food chain in southeastern Prince William County. It joins other Chick-fil-A chain restaurants in Woodbridge, Bristow, Manassas, and a soon-to-be built location in Lake Ridge at the intersection of Prince William Parkway and Old Bridge Road.
