Chick-fil-A set to open doors in Columbus with traditional giveaway

The wait is almost over, with the new Chick-fil-A preparing to open its doors at 6 a.m. Wednesday at 2730 Manchester Expressway in Columbus.

Of course, that means there will be the traditional giveaway of a year’s worth of Chick-fil-A meals to the first 100 people age 18 and over in line when the restaurant makes its debut.

“Thanks to overwhelming support, the First 100 Giveaway has grown tremendously over the years,” Chick-fil-A says in its official campout overview and rules. “Increasingly, there have been very large crowds arriving very early. To help ease confusion and to allow our guests equal opportunity to participate, a new process has been put in place to choose the First 100 winners.”

That process, however, begins between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. Tuesday morning, 24 hours ahead of the grand opening. That’s the first time that those looking to get in line and camp out overnight for the giveaway can do so under the rules, which also require that the first 100 people have valid identification showing they live in one of the 64 zip codes in the local region eligible for the Columbus location’s opening.

If more than 100 individuals are on site just before 6 a.m., a random drawing using tickets will take place to determine the first 100 people in line. There also will be 10 alternates selected just in case someone drops out during the wait for the 6 a.m. Wednesday restaurant opening.

The year of free meals will come in the form of a digital card loaded with 52 meals — one per week — which consist of a Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich, medium waffle fries and medium beverage.

The giveaway was started more than 13 years ago, with the Atlanta-based fast-food company saying more than $31 million in food has been given away over that time at the grand opening “celebrations.” Participants typically show up with chairs, tents, televisions and computers to pass the time, it said, with inclement weather such as rain, snow and extreme temperatures not deterring them.

The wait in Columbus should be interesting Tuesday, with forecasters calling for thunderstorms starting around 9 a.m. and lasting through the afternoon, then tapering to rain overnight into Wednesday. A public relations representative for Chick-fil-A said Monday that if weather becomes too nasty, giveaway participants are allowed inside the restaurant until it passes.

This will be the 13th Chick-fil-A in the Columbus area, with Alex Vann the franchise owner. He also owns the Wynnton-Macon Road location. Aside from the high-profile giveaway, the opening will include the packing of 10,000 meals for the needy in the area and an invitation for the community to donate books to a local children’s organization.

Chick-fil-A expects to open 102 outlets across the U.S. this year to go along with the nearly 2,200 it already operates in 46 states and in Washington, D.C. The first one in Columbus was located at the former Columbus Square Mall on Macon Road, opening in August 1973. The mall eventually was torn down to make way for various city and education buildings.

This story was originally published June 19, 2017 at 5:49 PM with the headline "Chick-fil-A set to open doors in Columbus with traditional giveaway."