Camping for Chicken

Christian Sears wore shorts but he wasn’t worried as the temperature continued to drop Wednesday night. 

He was prepared for the freeze with the low expected to hit 29 degrees Wednesday night. Sears brought his comforter, several blankets and pillows. He had them safely nestled in his tent in the parking lot of the newest Chick-fil-A location in San Marcos at 1433 North Interstate 35. 

He and his friends Claudia Gilmore, Giovanni Ugarte, Christian Peleaz and Summer Richie were among 100 fans of the restaurant who camped out overnight for a free meal for a year. 

“I have the receipts to prove that I eat Chick-fil-A every morning,” Sears said, adding that his go-to meal is the restaurant’s Chick-n-Minis for breakfast. “So, I go to Chick-fil-A every day and one of the Chick-fil-A workers told me, ‘Hey, on the 27th there’s this grand opening and you camp out and you can win Chick-fil-A for a year. So that’s how I found out about it.” 

The third Chick-fil-A location in the city spans nearly 4,900 square feet and was designed to enhance the guest experience from the drive-thru, counter and in-restaurant dining. This Chick-fil-A features a dual-lane drive-thru merging into a single pick-up point that can handle upwards of 200 cars an hour. Inside, the restaurant's design highlights vintage-inspired interiors with floor-to-ceiling windows, drop pendant lighting and a chandelier made from recycled Coke bottles over a community table made from reclaimed wood. There are 114 seats in the dining room with 20 outdoor seats in the outdoor patio and includes a two-story indoor playground and free Wi-Fi. Breakfast is served until 10:30 a.m., and the restaurant will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Monday through Thursday and closes at 11:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Chick-fil-A locations are closed on Sunday.

The parking lot was filled Wednesday night and through Thursday morning with tents as friends laughed, played games for a chance to win even more prizes and hunkered down for the coldest night of the month. 

At 5:45 a.m. Thursday morning, the restaurant’s mascot — the Chick-fil-A cow — led the 100 fans in a conga line to the sound of banging of pots and pans and ringing of cowbells. Once out of the cold, they were awarded a year's worth of coupons for a No. 1 meal, which comes with an Original Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich, medium waffle potato fries and medium soft drink. 

Following her all night stay, Richie had class to attend at Texas State University. 

“I’m going to go take a 30-minute power nap and then go to class,” Richie said. “So with my food, I can’t wait. I think it’s worth it. I think it’s so worth it as much money as I’ve given Chick-fil-A throughout my however many years eating here, they have enough money to build a small village.”