Winner, Winner, Free Chick-fil-A Dinner: Grand Forks Celebrates Grand Opening

Chick-fil-A Brings Fans From All States Out to The Opening Day

GRAND FORKS, ND — Grand Forks is celebrating after being the first city in the state to have a brand new Chick–fil–A.

The business opened their doors for the first time today.

The first 100 super fans were given a special prize, but you might be surprise where most of them were from.

“It feels really good,” said fan Samuel Baker. “It’s crazy. I got a crazy life.”

You could say Baker is a fan of Chick–fil–A.

You could even say…he might be a super fan.

But one thing we know for sure, Baker will go down in the Chick–fil–A Grand Forks history books as their first customer.

“I didn’t even know I was going to do this and then I was like, ‘well I’ll go for it because I love Chick–fil–A’ and I’m craving it and we don’t have one here,” Baker said. “But, now we do, so I don’t know. It feels good.”

Baker, along with the 99 others in line behind him, has been given Chick–fil–A’s grandest honor: free chicken for a year.

With the free meal coupon, you get a drink, a chicken sandwich and some waffle fries.

When asked if he would be able to eat Chick–fil–A every week for a whole year, he was very confident in his answer.

“Yeah. Easy, easy,” Baker said.

Baker’s not the only one.

He’s bonded with others over their one mutual love: chicken.

“I’m a big Chick–fil–A guy, I love my chicken,” said Josh Mazur, who goes to school in Grand Forks.

“When I came here from Texas,” UND student, Pete Villanueva said, “there wasn’t really much, I guess, from the southern region. So, when I heard Chick–fil–A was opening, I was really excited so I was like, ‘I got to get Chick–fil–A.'”

While many of the first 100 people in line were from out of town, many of them are here for school or work and with Chick–fil–A here to remind them of some sentiments of home, they’ll stick around here a little longer.

In fact, camping out overnight went smoothly, they said.

“It was a bit chilly but I got past it,” Mazur said. “I got a good sleeping bag, thanks to my grandma, but doing well. It didn’t get too cold, it didn’t freeze at all.”

“They set us up,” said Kathleen Ramierz. “It was fun. They had games, they fed us, and we just slept in our tents and it was a blast.”

It was an experience they say, well worth the wait.

The Fargo Chick–fil–A is set to open sometime in January or February.