30 August 2023 , 09:12
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A man spent the night queuing in his pyjamas on a pavement to secure free chicken for a year at the grand opening of a new drive-thru takeaway establishment.
Kevin Kiernan, 35, and other fried chicken enthusiasts lined up overnight at Cardiff Bay Retail Park for the chance to win one year's supply of fast food. Kevin got to the new Popeyes joint at the ungodly hour of 2am on Tuesday, August 29. Despite never having tasted a Popeyes meal before, he waited patiently in his sleepwear for nine gruelling hours, all for the love of chicken sandwiches.
To celebrate the launch of their new outlet, Popeyes had announced an irresistible offer - free chicken sandwiches for a year to the first three customers, both drive-thru and walk-in, on its opening day. After being tagged by his wife in a Facebook post about the promotion, Kevin found himself wide awake in the middle of the night. He decided to seize the opportunity and join the queue.
Long lines were pictured at the opening of the establishment (WalesOnline/Rob Browne)"My partner said they were giving free chicken for a year. I woke up at two o'clock this morning so I come on down. There was one person in front of me so I joined the queue," Kevin told Wales Online.
Originally, Kevin planned to wait in his car in the drive-thru lane. However, upon his arrival just after 2am, he found three cars already in line. The other eager chicken lovers had beaten him to the punch, having arrived at 7pm and 8pm on Monday, August 28, and at midnight.
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In the chilly pre-dawn hours, clad in pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, Kevin found himself second in line outside a building, joining the queue behind the eventual first place, Saimon Ali. Kevin, a postman hailing from Ely, Cardiff, braved the "freezing" temperatures until he discovered his wife's coat in the car at 5am, adding a much-needed layer of warmth.
The pedestrian queue began to grow around 4:30am, with Kevin noting that the newcomers were better prepared for the cold, donning warm clothes, armed with chairs for comfort, and snacks for sustenance. He recalled the temperature dropping to around 10C at one point. When asked if he ever considered abandoning his spot in line, he firmly stated, "Failure was not an option."
By 8am, the queue had swelled with more people, and the "fantastic" staff members arrived later on, distributing umbrellas, ponchos, and free hot drinks to those patiently waiting. The first 25 pedestrians and vehicles in line at Popeyes Cardiff Bay were rewarded with one free chicken sandwich per person, a prize some people queued for hours to receive.
At approximately 11am, Kevin and the other fortunate winners posed for photos and were ushered into the shop to register for their year's supply of free chicken sandwiches. This generous offer entitled the winners to three free chicken sandwiches per week for 52 weeks, redeemable at any UK Popeyes restaurant.
In a surprising turn of events, a Cardiff father confessed that he had never sampled Popeyes' offerings until on August 30, 2023. He enthusiastically declared it as "Probably the best chicken takeaway [he'd] ever had." As for his plans post this culinary adventure, Kevin expressed his desire to return home and catch up on some much-needed sleep before the grind of work resumes tomorrow.
* This article was crafted with the help of an AI tool, which speeds up The Mirror's editorial research. An editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected]