Die-hard Chick-fil-A Fans Camp Out Overnight Ahead Of Opening At Somerset Collection

TROY (WWJ) - The new restaurant doesn't open until 10 a.m. Thursday, but Chick-fil-A superfans are already in line outside Somerset Collection.

It's a Black Friday-like scene where WWJ's Sandra McNeill found Melinda Rakes of Washington Township among those camping out.

The first 100 people in line at the opening will receive one free meal every week for a year.

Rakes arrived at 7 a.m. Wednesday — more than a day in advance.

"I've never done nothin' like this before," Rakes said. "My husband's like, 'I'm not gonna do it; go ahead,' and my daughter just called me and said, 'You're a little bit crazy, you're a nutcase," but I said, 'Hey! I love Chick-fil-A!'"

While she waiting for the big moment, but Rakes had made some Chick-fil-A fan friends.

"Playing games, winning prizes, just talking, we have card games, listen to music with some people with some tents — and they said I could sleep in their tent," Rakes said. "...I brought a chair."

Kala Mott was also among the about a dozen people were in line as of noon on Wednesday, to get her hands on a southern-style fried chicken sandwich.

She recently moved to Clawson from Alabama. For her, Chick-fil-A is a taste of home.

"Oh my God, it's everything," Mott said, with a laugh. "I will go down to see my parents and they've gotta take me to Chick-fil-A at least two or three times."

She's looking forward to a "parking lot party" in the evening.

This Chick-fil-A location will make three in Michigan; with the only others at Detroit Metro Airport and Oakland University.