Chick-fil-A® Bristow held its inaugural movie night premiere on June 3 to kick off its summer movie series. Every Friday night Chick-fil-A will project family friendly movies on a large screen in the Chick-fil-A parking lot as a way to promote community relations.
This is the second summer Chick-fil-A Bristow is holding its outdoor Friday movie nights. Restaurant owner Mike Lovitt of the Sowder Village Square Chick-fil-A at Bristow said he decided to continue the event because it had been so successful for his restaurant in 2011.
He also felt it was one way his Chick-fil-A could give back to its community.
“We’re trying to build the sense of community and harken back to the days of the drive-in-movies,” Lovitte said. “We want people who live the Bristow and Nokesville to think of this as their Chick-fil-A. “
He explained that at first guests did not know how to attend the event and brought blankets to lie on the grass. However, soon people began setting up folding chairs in the parking lot in a theater-like fashion as Lovitt had in mind.
Although Lovitt had originally planned the movie night premiere for Friday, June 2, bad weather interfered, causing Lovitt to postpone the outdoor event until Saturday night.
However going forward, movie nights will be held on Fridays evenings at 8 p.m. weather permitting. Last year Lovitt had found that time spot most successful, and at the height of the season an average of 175 people were attending the events.
To celebrate the inaugural premiere, two Chick-fil-A cows made an appearance at the restaurant. They dressed in formal wear in celebrity fashion and greeted their fans on a red carpet. It was one way Lovitt hoped to create a family friendly atmosphere and promote his restaurants.
“Most Chick-fil-A are located in a center of gravity,” he said. Since his restaurant is located off to the side of the Target-anchored shopping center, Lovitt found holding neighborhood events helped him to build community awareness for his business. Chick-fil-A at Bristow also holds a family nights on Mondays, and has involved itself in charity and community service events, such as St. Baldrick’s and a small business day.
Lovitt’s Chick-fil-A has been so successful through community outreach that it won the Symbol of Success award two years in a row. The franchise only presents that award to their restaurants that increase their sales by 17 percent or more over the previous year.
But Lovitt also attributes his restaurant’s success to his location’s dedication to “going the second mile,” treating guests with dignity and respect and going beyond typical fast-food service. While adults appreciate this five-star service, children are just excited to see the movie.
Kaitlyn McNabb, who arrived early Saturday evening to see the Disney film on the big outdoor screen, exclaimed, “They’re playing the Lion King!”
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