This is the tops in frugal travel!Last year we traveled from Alabama to North Carolina during Chick-fil-A's "Cow Appreciation Day" and got free breakfast and lunch (in Opelika, AL and Atlanta, GA, respectively). This year, we were traveling back to Dallas from New Orleans and got free early lunch just outside New Orleans and dinner in Shreveport, LA.
I must say that the Louisiana CFA stores didn't come close to being as festive as the AL and GA stores we visited last year. Particularly in GA last year, the store where we ate lunch gave out free brownie samples (to all customers), had a spinning wheel where you could win more free food coupons, a bounce house for the kids, and cow toys for the kids. It was truly a celebration with them!
We didn't take photos at our first stop yesterday (near New Orleans). First, I didn't realize the store I located was actually in a mall. Second, we were the ONLY people dressed up. They looked a little surprised to see us, but then gladly offered us five free meals!
We dodged the rain to stop at a Chick-fil-A in Shreveport on the southeast side of town near LSU. We had been driving for a long time and still had 3 hours to go, so we let the kids play for a bit and then hit the road after we'd all filled up on meals again.
We stopped for an in-between snack in the afternoon, so I think our total food bill for the day was about $5. Not bad for a family of 5 traveling 500 miles!
Awesome!! We went too--thanks to you posting it on your blog! Our place wasn't festive either. I was hoping the cow would be there for pics (as he is at some locations) but nope. But the kids still got their free meal, and I got my free sandwich. I did have to pay for my own fries and drink. Did they give you & Joel a whole meal or just the sandwich?
ReplyDeleteThere were other "cows" at the location we went to but the large majority of customers were just normal people who probably didn't even know about it.
Of course, we did get there at 11 and left just before 12, so they might have been more festive (and maybe more generous?) when the lunch hour progressed. I got the feeling we were some of the first cows who had been there that day.
P.S. I just realized I'm getting myself to a point where I feel a little disappointed, and really, it was so much fun, even without a plush cow to pose with, and even though I did pay $3.40 for fries and a drink! :-D It's something I'd like to do again next year. I'm thankful they have such a cool annual event!
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