TAMPA, Fla. - After 30 years, the elaborate holiday light display at the Chick-fil-A on Waters Avenue in Tampa will not be happening this season.
Beloved Tampa Chick-fil-A tradition
The backstory:
For 30 years, the Chick-fil-A on Waters Avenue has been decked out in lights, decorations, and spinning displays every holiday season.
RELATED: Tampa Chick-fil-A light display becomes multi-generation tradition
Owner-operator Jason Dittman built the tradition from the ground up, beginning in 1997 with just a small tree and some garland draped down the side of the building. Over the years, the display grew into a massive, three-generation operation: Dittman, his father, and his sons would typically begin the heavy lifting of preparing the sprawling display as early as August.
This year, however, the restaurant's exterior will remain dark. The restaurant made the announcement in a social media post Monday.
In a statement to FOX 13 Wednesday, Dittman said:
"When my family and I hung our very first set of lights years ago, we never imagined it would grow into something so widely embraced by our Tampa community. While building the display took months of hands-on work each year, seeing local families make memories outside our restaurant made every single hour worthwhile.
This year, life has brought meaningful changes to our home. Our immediate focus has now turned toward supporting my father's health. Because this was entirely a personal family endeavor from the ground up, we’ve made the thoughtful decision to step back and prioritize our time together.
We are profoundly grateful for the kindness, support, and holiday spirit our neighbors have shared with us through every season. While our exterior will look different this year, our heart for serving this community remains unchanged."
According to the restaurant’s social media post on Monday, Dittman’s sons now live in different states.
"We know the lights have become a special part of the holidays for many families in our community, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has made visiting them part of their own traditions over the years," the social media statement reads in part. "While our restaurant may not shine quite as bright on the outside this year, the warmth inside remains the same."
Tampa community reacts
Local perspective:
While they will miss the magic, regulars who frequent the Waters Avenue location said they completely understand the family’s reasoning.
"I understand if there's medical issues with his father, because I lost my father a couple of years ago, so I can see why family would come first," said customer Brad Goss.
"I hope they get better and something else comes about to where they're able to continue to do it, maybe at a later date," added Diane Oestreich, another regular.
"It's sad, because it brings the community together, and the kids really enjoy it," she said of the light display.
Since the news broke, the local community has rallied around the restaurant. There have been many comments on social media of people offering their time and money to help get the lights hung up.
While the Dittman family expressed profound gratitude for the outpouring of love and support, they explained that the elaborate setup has always been a family project spanning three generations and is "not something we can coordinate with volunteers," according to an online statement.
The Source: Information was gathered from two social media posts by Chick-fil-A Waters Ave, plus a statement emailed to FOX 13 from a media representative. Additional details came from interviews with customers and past FOX 13 reporting.