Manassas, Va. - A new Chick-fil-a opened its doors in Manassas Thursday, promising more than fast food: it also brings the promise of new jobs.

People lined up and camped out all night for free food from the new Chick-fil-a: as a publicity stunt, the fast-food restaurant is offering a year's worth of free food to the first 100 people through its doors Thursday morning. The offer is in place for every new Chick-fil-a store opening, and many braved the cold hoping to score on the deal.

Gabrielle Winningham of Manassas explained, "You get 52 free coupons. So it's like one meal a week for a whole year."

"I've been here a long time. And it is freezing cold, it is excruciating cold," groaned one dedicated customer who had camped out overnight.

But Chick-fil-a is also taking this grand opening opportunity to say something it is rare to hear these days: we're hiring. Chick-fil-a provides a bright spot in a dark economic picture: their revenues overall are up by ten percent.

Each new store requires around 60 workers, both part- and full-time. Another Chick-fil-a is going up in Gainesville, Virginia later in the month. Dan Cathy of Chick-fil-a explained, "We have anywhere from 50 to 80 new employees that we create jobs for when we come in."

That kind of growth is a welcome sight in the down economy, and Chick-fil-a is not the only company now hiring.

Some contractors are already starting to hire for the "shovel-ready" projects funded by the federal government's stimulus package. Brian May lists jobs online for contractors in the Midwest, and he describes the opportunities for people in the building industry.

Construction projects require the services of "flaggers, laborers, crane operators, dump truck drivers, foremen" and others, May explained, and those are the workers who build places like new fast food restaurants.

Chick-fil-a prides itself on hiring young people part-time, but full-time managerial positions with benefits are also available at their restaurants.

It is a phenomenon that some are calling "survival jobs" with roughly five million Americans currently unemployed, many are taking jobs for which they are overqualified. 1.7 million people worked part-time in January because they couldn't find full-time jobs, a 40 percent spike since the recession began 15 months ago.

Labor expert Tory Johnson explained, "One bittersweet blessing of overqualified candidates is potentially better customer service. Most people who had to take survival jobs are proud of work they're doing and want to give it their all."




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