Chick-fil-A “Occupied” by Tent City of Free Food Seekers

A tent city consisting of whole families appeared in the Crystal Lake Chick-fil-A restaurant the day before the Thursday Grand Opening.

You can tell by driving by Chick-fil-A today that something was up.

Tents covered the parking lot.

The parking lot is filled with tents.

The sign in the Chick-fil-A parking lot says the restaurant will open in one day.

Come to find out people are camped out to get free food.

The rules for the Chick-fil-A First 100 free meal give-a-way. Click to enlarge.

Chick-fil-A has a tradition of giving the first 100 adult customers (ID required) 52 meal coupons.

This man said he and two of his children who were over 18 had come to help feed the family, which consists of ten children.

As I entered the area, a man asked for my help in retrieving a blue ball that had been thrown off the property.

He said that if he or his son left the designated area, they would be disqualified from receiving the food coupons.

Lots of kids accompanied their parents to the new Crystal Lake Chick-fil-A.  These were watching the game below.

I asked him where he was from.

Adults were solicited by Chick-fil-A employees to participate in a game the goal of which was to be the first team to fill a container with water squeezed from a sponge.

The answer was Glen Ellyn.

Why was he there?

To help feed his family, he candidly admitted.

He told me he had ten children and he and two over the age of 10 had made the cut to be among the first 100 in line.

And, there was a bonus.

Chick-fil-A feeds the 100 in line (plus 10 alternates) from the time they arrive until Thursday morning right after 6 AM when the coupons are given out.

When they are fed, they walk through the drive-in lane.

People apparently come from far and wide to participate in the camp out.

Cashiers were being trained the day before the Grand Opening.

Then I walked into the restaurant and got the photo you see of personnel training cashiers for tomorrow’s rush.

Huntley’s Don Bond was drawn to Chick-fil-A by the Northwest Herald article about Andrew Gasser’s Appreciation Day campaign for Thursday.

I found Huntley Don Bond, who had been attracted by the article in the Northwest Herald.

There were lots of Chick-fil-A employees to launch the enterprise.

Ben Moore is running the local Chick-fil-A.

I got another chance to talk to the entrepreneur heading up the local operation, Ben Moore of Sycamore.

S. Rosen supplies the rolls for Crystal Lake’s Chick-fil-A.

And, with all the talk about discrimination, I had to smile when I saw that the company, owned by Christians, was using S. Rosen to supply its rolls.


Comments

Chick-fil-A “Occupied” by Tent City of Free Food Seekers — 6 Comments

  1. Its going to be an epic event.

    Hope everyone gets a sammich.

    Freedom of speech never tasted so good.

    Respectfully,
    Andrew Gasser

  2. Regardless of the politics, I can’t believe people line up for nasty fast food.

    What a county!

  3. If you have 10 kids and have to resort to these type of “stunts” to feed them…obviously you have way too many!

    I have a good job and don’t feel that I can have more than 3 and give them a good life.

    I guess it’s a perfect example of quantity vs. quality…in which I prefer quality.

    Our government makes it too easy to have too many kids and have society pay for them.

    The dismantling of the solid family structure is the dismantling of America…it’s fiscally unsustainable.

  4. Jim- “the government” makes it too easy to have too many kids??????

    Are you kidding me?

    Should they be handing out birth control pills and condoms at the DMV?

    Instituting a one-child policy like China?

    Confounding how “the government” is always the bad guy in any situation with the conservative set.

    I am assume, Jim, that you are pro-life considering your other comments regarding the “solid family structure etc…”- should we be mandating abortions for those who have more than 3 kids and a lower income?

  5. Nice to see this new business in Crystal Lake.

    Can’t wait to try the “FREEDOM OF SPEECH” sandwich.

    May God Bless America for our freedoms.

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