At the start of the year, Myrtle Beach was set to receive a measureable blanket of snow. For a community that NEVER gets snow, this was an event that was highly anticipated by many, especially our area’s children. You could imagine the tears that were shed when our neighborhood didn’t even see a flake.

I never thought I would have to write about a community plagued by so much disappointment ever again. However, unfortunately, only eight months later, I have something that might top the Myrtle Beach snowstorm bust.

We all know those national and regional restaurants that attract cult followings and take on mythical qualities, especially for the people who don’t live near one: In-N-Out, Sonic, Cheesecake Factory, Panda Express, etc. 

Over the weekend, near insanity erupted in my old hometown when an announcement was made…

Chick-Fil-A was coming to Spokane.

Local media went nuts, my family members started blowing up our text message group, and diehards started lining up where the location was to be built.

We have an active and fun group text messaging thread that includes my siblings and our significant others. There was absolute glee when the news broke that a Chick-Fil-A was opening in Spokane.

Although that last part about people camping out might be a little embellished, the Chick-fil-A announcement was literally breaking news in Spokane, a city that currently has the worst air quality in the nation.

In a part of the country that has ZERO Chick-fil-As, the news that a restaurant would open felt like Christmas. In Spokane, you have two groups: Those who have tried the magical taste of Chick-fil-A once or twice and know of its greatness AND those who have been deprived of it their whole lives and salivate at the thought of sinking their teeth into a spicy chicken sandwich based on word of mouth alone.

I am a big Chick-Fil-A fan so I was excited that a restaurant was supposed to open in Spokane.

As social media and local newspapers spread the news that a Chick-fil-A would open on the campus of Gonzaga University, the two groups went into a collective frenzy. The long wait was just about over; the brutal, unfair fact that eastern Washington did not have a Chick-fil-A would soon change.

My parents at a Myrtle Beach Chick-Fil-A on April 9, 2018. I know they were looking forward to eating those chicken sandwiches in Spokane.

Only it didn’t. As citizens of Spokane started to daydream about waffle fries and Chick-fil-A sauce, the plug was pulled.

False alarm. The Chick-fil-A website had made an error. The internet announcement on its corporate site that a restaurant would open in Spokane was a MISTAKE. Stop the press. Hold off on clearing your calendar for the grand opening.

My brother, who loves Chick-fil-A was bitterly saddened and disappointed by the announcement.

The city pretty much went into a state of mourning. The smoky air predominant in Spokane seemed to thicken with the development. The day was ruined for my brother and sister.

It was a bad morning for my Spokane family.

Probably the worst part was breaking the reality to my dad. Not of the social media age, he gets news a little later than us. When he found out that Chick-fil-A was coming to Spokane via the Sunday paper, I tried to let him down easy.

Well, maybe on second thought, I guess I wasn’t as subtle as I thought I was when telling my dad that the news report was inaccurate.

Stay positive, Spokane. I don’t think you will be without a Chick-fil-A forever. I mean honestly, how could the Chick-fil-A website make such a random mistake? Something must be in the works. Truth be told, I have heard rumors that a Chick-fil-A is slated for Spokane in a different part of the city. But who knows? I know things are hard right now at least you can still order a McChicken at McDonald’s. Sorry, that was mean. Don’t Blink.