It’s almost noon on 14th St. and a growing number of people are in line outside to claim a year’s worth of Chick fil A. Inside, the franchise’s owner and operator, Jessie Chesson, makes clear she’s not chicken about serving the needs of D.C. residents.
“Typically, the criteria for the First 100 is participants who live within a 2-3 mile radius,” says Chesson about the franchise’s tradition of giving away 52 coupons to the first 100 people who stand in line ahead of a grand opening.
However, she continues, “We understood the dynamics of D.C., we get a lot of commuters and we extended it to a five mile radius.” And informally, “as long as they’re a D.C. resident, at this point, we’re pretty much letting them participate,” says Chesson who grew up in the D.C. suburbs and attended Howard University.
The Atlanta-based chain’s First 100 promotion has been held at every location opening for the past 12 years. Participants typically convene 24 hours before the grand opening and must stay in their designated spots until the restaurant official opens to the public. However, there are exceptions for “short restroom breaks and/or to comply with any applicable legal requirement,” according to official rules. Those who last will receive a coupon for a #1 combo that includes the coveted Chick fil A sandwich, waffles fries and a drink. Coupons can be used at the discretion of the customer, meaning they’re free to eat at the restaurant for 52 days in a row or space them out throughout the year.
As Chesson was preparing for a lunchtime rush that will likely draw in the remaining qualifiers, those already in line received free food.
“This will be the first time I have Chick-fil-A,” says Margie Wooten who came across the line on her way to breakfast with her husband. Determined to kick bad habits, she joined the crowd. “I used to use drugs, so I’m doing something different now.”
A couple paces up, Wooten was joined by Menyana Williams, who discovered the line while taking her son to school.
“I love Chick fil A, it’s my favorite fast food restaurant,” says Williams who grew up nearby and is excited about the neighborhood’s development.
In other parts of the country, crowds have been less calm for the promotion. At New York’s opening in October, there were plenty of chicken sandwich enthusiasts, but also protesters of the establishment for its history of homophobia and dreadful animal rights record, brought to light by Mercy for Animals.
But in D.C., Chessom prefers her franchise be associated with positive community involvement. Currently, the restaurant is staffed with 90 employees, who are “from the immediate area and D.C. residents,” she says. And local organizations are already reaching out to form relationships.
“We’re looking forward to being a supportive partner in the community. We’re going to donate food, we’ll sponsor local events, we’ll participate in D.C. youth jobs program and things of that nature—to really make sure we’re a positive contributor.”
