In the face of a global pandemic, nonessential workers across the country are looking for something–anything–to fill their newfound abundance of free time. For some, this comes in the form of a movie or a puzzle. For others, it comes in the form of the long-awaited opening of the latest addition to the Chick-fi-A chain, which is located up the road in Hanover.

With its grand opening on Thursday, April 2nd, Chick-fil-A has finally come to a location close to home. Finally, residents of Scituate can enjoy all the wonders this food chain has to offer. 

With this excitement lifting us up–and nothing else to do–residents from all over the South Shore (myself included) will spill into the drive-thru only fast food restaurant to kill some time and get their hands on some chicken sandwiches. 

Curious about all the hubbub surrounding Chick-fil-A’s grand opening, I took it upon myself to scope out the scene in Hanover. Upon arrival at approximately 2:30 p.m., there were several police officers near the premises keeping everything in order, as well as directing traffic for this historic event. Three lines of cars were protruding near the restaurant, with employees directing drivers to ensure they were orderly and fair. The longest line stretched to near the Panara restaurant, located several stores away from the Chick-fil-A. 

After about two hours of waiting in line–and a free gift card from the manager–I emerged from the experience feeling satisfied at how smoothly everything was being run. 

This is certainly not the grand opening the managers originally imagined, but it certainly worked out in their favor as more and more eating establishments are closed down due to the pandemic. At this time, the restaurant has no intention of shutting down the business to the public, and it has temporarily made parking lot pick up available due to the high demand and traffic flow through the drive-thru. 

Of course, I can still look forward to the grand opening of the dining room.