Customers overwhelm free food deals

TAMPA -- Election Day food and drink giveaways gave area voters the serious munchies Tuesday, proving that nothing tastes better than free.

People flocked to restaurants offering free donuts, coffee, chicken sandwiches, beer, cheese pizza or ice cream. Some Chick-fil-A’s had so many patrons that they ran out of chicken.

“We did not realize that the demand was going to be this big,” Jane Melton, area marketing director.

The stores ran into a slight glitch: They had planned to offer the free sandwiches only to people wearing an “I Voted” sticker. But after learning that promotion might violate federal law, the restaurants gave the deal to anyone who asked. Hence, the chicken shortage.

Colleen Jenkins, Times staff writer