Chick-fil-A will open in Lynnwood on Thursday, the third of the first three restaurants in the Seattle area.
I couldn’t be happier.
Finally, finally, finally, a mere 12.7 miles will be the only thing between a delicious Chick-fil-A sandwich and my mouth. It’s like waking up from a good dream.
No, it’s like being awake in a good dream. A good dream that can happen any meal, any day of the week, except for Sunday, of course. I haven’t always been a Chick-fil-A superfan; Washington made me this way.
In Texas, where I am from, I was an average fan.
I like the food. The employees are polite. In the rare case I find myself at a Texas shopping mall, Chick-fil-A is the obvious food court winner. Clean, consistent and convenient equals what more to ask for under $7?
Take convenient out of the equation and things get a little crazy. For seven long years, I have lived in a place absent of the 300 locations of my home state. This has turned me into a chicken-sandwich-craving machine. Suddenly, waffle fries are comfort food. I want it as soon as I get off the plane in Austin and at least a few times before getting back on.
I thought it was only me, but the saying “absence makes the heart grow fonder” rings true for anyone who is geographically isolated from Chick-fil-A.
I see folks wearing Chick-fil-A shirts in Everett. I see the red-and-white Chick-fil-A logo stickered across bumpers in Seattle. I’ve never seen these things in Texas. Why would one need to show allegiance to something so prevalent? It would be like wearing a McDonald’s letter jacket. Here, it shows you are part of the club.
I know there are some who won’t eat at Chick-fil-A, because of the political beliefs of the chain’s founders. I respect your willpower. I understand we all have different beliefs, politics, even ideas on how to raise children, but I leave the chicken sandwich out of it.
And if I don’t sound bonkers already, I have another revelation. Just like any childhood treat, I am ecstatic to share Chick-fil-A with my two boys, one 2 years old and the other 5 months.
In fact, I was able to do just that in April at the Bellevue location for research for this story (full disclosure: my belly is happy full o’ chicken sandwich as I type, a perk of the job).
Being a stay-at-home mom, I am already planning Chick-fil-A outings for me and my boys. My husband, who is normal, finds this idea entertaining and silly.
But he’s from Texas, so he gets it, too.
With the opening of these three locations, I realize the club will become bigger and the mania smaller.
A small part of me will miss the obsession but the whole of me will be happy a chicken sandwich will only be a drive-through away.
If you go
Chick-fil-A is scheduled to open on May 7 at 3026 196th St. SW next to Lowe’s. It’s last of the first three restaurants to open in the Puget Sound area.
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