A rose is displayed on every table Thursday, February 5, 2015, during Family Date Night at Chick-fil-A. The restaurant offered table service, live music, and free photo-booth style pictures. (Bac Totrong/photo@bgdailynews.com)

Some Chick-fil-A patrons were surprised Thursday night when they showed up to a full parking lot outside and music and roses inside.

The event, Family Date Night, has occurred annually for at least the past four years as a sort of an appreciation for customers, marketing manager Debbie Hill said.

People paid for their meals as usual, but they did so with a little more atmosphere. The usual behind-the-counter servers donned long dresses and tuxedos or white shirt and bow ties. They waited on people at their tables and a musician combo provided some background music punctuated by the Chick-fil-A cow dancing with customers. There also was a photo booth and coloring station. Hill said they also planned to shower one lucky family with donated tickets for a WKU men’s basketball game, Lost River Cave and Popovich Comedy Pet Theater at Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center on Saturday. The family selected from nominations also received their meals free.

Mike Portner and his 3-year-old son, Rylen, of Bowling Green, were taken aback by the event. They had just come to grab some fast food. Rylen said he liked it.

The Elmlinger family of Glasgow also was surprised.

“I like it because there are more people here,” 8-year-old Josh said.

His mom, Traci, said her boys said, “We’re not on a date.”

Eleven-year-old Caleb said he, too, was surprised by the change in the restaurant that they have come to before. 

“It’s pretty good,” he said.

Elmlinger said first the boys were hesitant about staying because they wanted to hurry and eat. “But this is nice,” she said.

Ginger Colovos and her 9-year-old daughter, Christina, of Warren County, have been to various Chick-fil-A events before but not the date night.

“This is a nice change,” she said.

Colovos declined to say what she might be having to eat since her husband, Tim, was likely working out at a local gym. But then the food arrived table side and the secret was out – a sandwich and waffle fries for Christina and fried chicken nuggets and waffle fries for her.

— Follow city editor Robyn L. Minor on Twitter at twitter.com/bowserminor or visit bgdailynews.com.