Crowds 'flock' to Chick-fil-A opening in London, Ont.

London’s first Chick-fil-A location is now open on Wonderland Road South.

However, if you want to try its popular sandwiches, shakes or waffle fries, be prepared to wait.

Even mid-afternoon Thursday, overflow lanes were in place to accommodate drive-thru customers.

“Let’s just say they’re making money, that is for sure. Look at the line!” said Summer Smith as she sat in a car waiting to order her food.

Her sister Keely, who’s had the fast-food before, didn’t mind at all.

“The fries, the sauce, it’s really good," she told CTV News London.

But not everyone was sold before biting into a sandwich.

“I’ve never had it before. But, I am here, even though one of my friends said it was not that good, I’m here,” shared a student customer.

Vehicles wind through a second section of cues at a new Chick-fil-A restaurant in London, Ont. Wait times, mid-afternoon on Nov. 30, 2020, were between 10 and 30 minutes according to customers. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)

The southwest London location is the 13th Chick-fil-A location in Canada.

The company said it employs 130 full and part-time workers.

They will work Monday through Saturday, while the restaurant is not open on Sundays.

The company’s CEO Dan Cathy has said he is a believer in the “biblical definition of a family unit.”

It’s a stance some London customers support.

Robert White and Virginia Watson, who both identify as Christians, are among them.

“I just think it’s a religious day. It should be closed on Sunday,” Virginia told CTV News London.

In the past, Chick-fil-A openings have attracted protesters. The largest and most vocal occurred in Toronto in 2019.

Londoners waited for their orders inside Chick-fil-A in London, Ont. on Nov. 30, 2023. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)

There, groups out front of a new Younge Street location aired their objections to the millions of dollars Cathy has donated to charities with a history of discrimination against LGBTQ2S+ groups.

While a company spokesperson told CTV News London there were no protesters at the opening in London Thursday, some customers acknowledged the controversy.

“Some of my LGBTQ friends say they don’t want to come here because of that,” said student Anna Fortin.

But the vast majority in line were staying out of politics.

For them, Chick-fil-A is strictly about something else.

“I’m here for the chicken that’s it!” emphasized one man.

Chick-fil-A London has donated $25,000 U.S. to local food charities as part of its grand opening.