CRESTVIEW — Roman Hansford took a mighty chomp on a small, square hamburger, one of several queued up on his family's tray, and gave a satisfied grin.
The Crestview 3-year-old was one of hundreds of customers trying out the new Krystal during Monday's lunchtime crush.
Roman, his parents Tiffany and Gage, and little brother Liam ate amid a hubbub of activity, fueled both by curiosity and a desire for the trademark square burgers already familiar to some customers.
After waiting in a line that snaked through the restaurant, Danielle Jackson happily ordered her Krystal Sackful of burgers, pleased that she could now get them close to home.
"I'm very excited we're getting more food choices," she said.
"The community's been very receptive to us," Krystal regional manager Phil Cole said. "The response has been fantastic."
So great was the opening day response that a Crestview police officer had to direct lunchtime traffic on State Road 85 in front of the restaurant.
Philip Boudreau sipped a shake as he returned to his truck after lunch, eying the line of drive-through traffic that wrapped around the building and wondering how he'd get out of his parking spot.
"This was good stuff," Boudreau said, wiping a drop of shake from his chin. "I wish we'd get more restaurants."
Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Krystal opening day crowd requires police traffic control