patrons camp out for chick-fil-a opening in ashburn _ loudountimes

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/2/11 Patrons camp out for Chick-fil-A opening in Ashburn | LoudounTimes.com

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Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011 by Laura Peters | 26 comments | Email this story

Libby and Jake Knupp setup their tent outside thenew Ashburn Chick-fil-Aat 3:30 a.m. Oct. 19 inanticipation of its openingday Oct. 20. In return,Chick-fil-A gives them andthe 98 other campersspending the night in theparking lot free Chick-fil-Afor a year. The Knuppshave attended 79 Chick-fil-A grand openings allover the country in thepast four years. They giveaway many of their freemeal vouchers to friendsand family.Times-MirrorStaff Photo/Beverly Denny

Libby and Jake Knupp spent their 50th wedding anniversary at their 50th Chick-fil-A grandopening they are now on their 79th grand opening in the past four years.

They arrived at 3:30 a.m. on Oct. 19 to be in line for Chick-fil-As first 100 customers to receivetheir Be Our Guest cards. The card allows each recipient to get 52 free meals for a year. Thenew Chick-fil-A is set to open on Oct. 20 in Ashburn by the George Washington UniversityLoudoun campus.

You never know what youre going to experience. And you can pretty much count on whichpeople are going to be in different locations. I would say there are 30-ish people here that weveseen, Libby Knupp said. I never thought in my life thought Id being doing something like thisfor my retirement.

Sue Jones, marketing and event planner for Chick-fil-A grand openings said that there was atotal of 120 people at their new location.

Our first 100 event we do for every grand opening of Chick-fil-A. Its a promotion that honors

the first 100 customers, Jones said. So the first 100 customers get free Chick-fil-A for a year.They get 52 be our guest cards for a meal.

Since there were more than 100 people at the site before opening Chick-fil-A raffled off 100guest cards to participants.

We keep an extra ten if people decide that its a little to rainy or they have to leave, Jonesexplained. They have to stay until 6 a.m. tomorrow morning. They are wrist-banded, we do linechecks and its all great fun.

The Knupps live in Bunker Hill, W. Va. and have traveled all over America for Chick-fil-A grandopenings, spending hundreds of dollars in gas just to get a free year of Chick-fil-A. But, they aregenerous in their prizes and hand out their free cards to friends and family members.

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Patrons camp out for Chick-fil-A opening in Ashburn


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11/2/11Patronscamout forChick-fil-AoenininAshburn| LoudounTimes

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This is so much fun and our children think were nuts, Jake Knupp said. We used to juststand out like this for concerts but you cant beat Chick-fil-A.

Bernie Janishefski, 77, of White Marsh, Md. has been doing this for the last three or four years.He is attended about 50 grand openings.

All the people that I have met because of Chick-fil-A are just great people, Janishefski said.This is like a little weekend vacation for me.

If I dont go to one for a couple months, I start climbing the walls, he joked.

Janishefski sat in his homemade box that resembles the Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich boxes,keeping his legs warm in a p lastic bag.

I really look forward to the grand opening and, the weather, we just dont worry about it. Wegot our own little box here, Janishefski said. Bad weather, cold weather, it dont matter. Wereall having a good time.

Janishefski also says that he takes great pleasure in giving coupons to other people and jokesthat his Chick-fil-A consumption has made him put on a bit of weight.

The Chick-fil-A people and the food is great. But, the cleanliness, the personality of Chick-fil-A,they give back to the community. Theyre just not out for the money, Janishefski pointed out.

Libby Knupp said she started attending Chick-fil-A grand openings because she hunted fordeals by couponing.

Im a coupon person. I was reading this newspaper and there was this long article for a Chick-fil-A grand opening and it really caught my attention, Libby Knupp said. And there were nocoupons so I read on and I thought thats for me. That was the start and the end isnt in sight.

Libby Knupp said that she and her husband have traveled around to the different openings andseen the same people, at this opening they knew about 30 people.

Cole Miller of Ashburn said that he learned about the give-away two days ago, but has beentracking the construction of the new restaurant, since his apartment is across the street.

I came down here, I got here at 5:30 a.m. I didnt realize it was going to be a cattle call like itis, Miller said. I thought I was going to be one of maybe 20 people. I figured it would be a fewcollege kids, but apparently its got a larger following.

Miller said he was amazed at the following Chick-fil-A has and said its like a cult following.

Im pretty jazzed. I was like, how can I get this? Miller said. I can gloat to everyone that I getfree Chick-fil-A. Its a small, but large accomplishment.

Chick-fil-A will be working with the Good Shepherd Alliance on Oct. 22 from 6 to 10:30 a.m.collecting non-perishable food items. Each donor will receive a free breakfast entree of theirchoice.

Susan Ter Bush ofSevierville, Tenn., right,plays Pollyanna, a boardgame, with her nephewGlenn Mayle of La Plata,Md., while her nieceValerie Chambers ofIndian Head, Md.,watches, from inside theirtent in front of the Chick-fil-A opening in Ashburnon Oct. 19. The t rio iscamping out t o be one ofthe first 100 patronswhen the store opensOct. 20, t hereby winninga year's supply of mealsfrom Chick-fil-A. Times-Mirror Staff Photo/BeverlyDenny

Bernie Janishefski sits inhis 'chicken box' that hebuilt for Chick-fil-A grandopenings. He hasattended more than 50 ofthem. Times-Mirror StaffPhoto/Beverly Denny

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Comments

Tue, Oct 25 at 03:00 PM by steve miller | Report this comment

Looks like hippies setting up a shanty town for the night. Its going to beawesome when they open the Leesburg location

Mon, Oct 24 at 08:04 PM by builder bob | Report this comment

If youre so upset about the vaules of a company, then dont patronize them; itsthat simple ! Next.

patrons camp out for chick-fil-a opening in ashburn _ loudountimes

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