Wild reason why hundreds are lining up for hours in Sydney right now - and even celebs are dropping by to see it
Hundreds of Sydney-siders lined up for hours in Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre to be the first to eat at a newly opened store.
American-style crispy chicken joint Pappa Flock opened its first Sydney eastern suburbs venue on Friday 16 May, with the highly anticipated arrival seeing food fans queue up for hours ahead of the store's first day of trading.
A group of five young men confirmed that they 'had been lining up since 5am' to ensure they were first in line for the store's midday opening.
The group added that they 'love Pappa Flock' and were happy to patiently wait a full seven hours in the food court before the store officially opened its doors.
The hour-long lines continued throughout the store's first trading day, snaking through the food court and even requiring the help of security to manage the queue.
The Aussie-owned eatery has become an online sensation, thanks to its notorious 'Flock Boxes' going viral on TikTok.
The Flock Box contains three free-range crispy chicken tenders, which are served either 'classic' or 'spicy'.
The meal, which retails from a starting price of $17.90, also comes with seasoned chips, buttery toast, signature sauce and a drink of choice, which includes their in-store made freshly squeezed lemonade or peach and lemon ice tea.
One excited foodie confirmed that he'd tried many fried chicken venues around Sydney but rated Pappa Flock's as top tier.
'I've been through our city, I've tried all the chicken,' he said, before singling out Pappa Flock's menu as a standout.
The chicken aficionado praised the brand's 'signature sauce', even jokingly saying he wished it could be hooked 'straight into my veins'.
The first 100 customers through the door on the Bondi Junction opening day also scored a $100 gift card.
In addition to ordering items off the food menu, some of the store's customers were keen to purchase official Papa Flock merchandise, with one shopper enthusiastically picking a baseball cap emblazoned with the brand name and logo.
Another selected the brand's custom football jerseys - with Pappa Flock Head Chef Eddie Colfie even requested to autograph the shirt.
The long lines and huge turnout at the Bondi Junction store on opening day was a thrill, but in some ways unsurprising to Pappa Flock Chief Marketing Officer, Rachel Korbel.
'We have people driving for hours to try our iconic Flock Boxes and freshly-squeezed lemonade because they saw us on TikTok,' Rachel confirmed.
The Voice 2025 stars Jenna Hudson and Yorke Heath were among a select group of guests invited to check out the Bondi Junction store the night before it officially opened
'We knew Sydney's East loved fried chicken, but this was something else,' Rachel said.
'People weren't just waiting, they were settling in and counting down to crunch-time - the crowd turned the wait into an event in itself.'
'It really does show just how much Sydneysiders are obsessed with our crispy crunchy chicken,' she added.
The night before the official Westfield Bondi store opening, Pappa Flock hosted a launch party to offer select guests a sneak peek at the store.
Among the attendees were The Voice 2025 stars, Jenna Hudson and Yorke Heath.
In addition to the brand's TikTok-famous Flock Boxes, other stand out items on the menu include handcrafted sandwiches, loaded wraps and newly added item, loaded fries.
The Bondi Junction store is Pappa Flock's eighth in Sydney, with other locations including Westfield Miranda, Frenchs Forest, Casula, Westfield Eastgardens, Macquarie Centre and Rouse Hill.
The fried chicken eatery has also hinted at plans to open more Australian locations later in the year.
Head Chef Eddie shared a a hot tip for customers looking for the ultimate taste experience in their restaurants.
'Ask for the 'jumbo sauce' off our 'secret menu' to get a cup of the signature sauce.'
The chef explained that the jumbo sauce more easily enabled chicken-lovers to 'get a proper dip on the tenders'.
'It's a total game changer,' he added.
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