DC Chick-fil-A Opens After 24-Hour Campout by Fans

One hundred people walked away with a years worth of free Chick-fil-A Wednesday morning after camping out (some more than 24 hours) in front of the new restaurant in Columbia Heights, according to the company. The 100th person signed up around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, with 10 alternates signing up right after them.

Participants were welcomed with a loud celebration of pots banging and “Chick-fil-A” chants. The doors to the restaurant opened up shortly thereafter Wednesday morning.

Chick-fil-A is also continuing to collect new children’s books at the restaurant until 9 p.m. Wednesday. The books will be placed in a Book House and donated to Harriet Tubman Elementary School in DC.

With 70 seats inside, customers will be able to stay connected through the restaurant’s free Wi-Fi. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., serving a full breakfast menu until 10:30 a.m. Like all Chick-fil-A restaurants, it will be closed on Sunday.

Chick-fil-A will continue its expansion in the metro-DC area with two more restaurant openings this year in Purcellville, Va., on Nov. 12 and in Woodbridge currently scheduled to open mid December. The DC USA restaurant is among of 88 new restaurants the chain plans to open in 2015 -- creating more than 7,000 new jobs.