Astros' MVP Jeremy Peña draws massive crowd for Raising Cane's drive-thru shift

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- There was already a long line hours before Houston Astros' MVP Jeremy Peña was scheduled to work a drive-thru shift at a southeast Houston Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers. By the time he arrived, the crowd was huge.

The long lines are a trend we've seen at every Astros meet-and-greet since the team won their second World Series earlier this month.

Even though Peña wasn't scheduled to show up until noon, the parking lot was full of fans sleeping in their cars overnight.

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Some fans were awake, and ABC13's Charly Edsitty recognized a familiar face - hardcore Astros fan Carmen, who was first in line to meet Yordan Álvarez at DICK'S Sporting Goods last week.

She was third in line for Peña.

Carmen was holding a spot in line for herself and her 9-year-old granddaughter, Pressley, who said she hoped to play matchmaker for her 18-year-old sister.

"I think so! But I told her, 'Well, I don't know, because I did see a girlfriend in some of his pictures recently.' I think a lot of girls are still going to take a shot at it," Carmen said.

"Hey, there's no harm in asking, right?" Charly asked.

"That's right. I guess not. Not when you're 9 years old and you're trying (really) hard for your big sister," Carmen said.

RELATED: Astros parade littered with marriage proposals for World Series MVP Jeremy Peña

WATCH: Fans sleep in cars ahead of Jeremy Peña's drive-thru shift at Cane's

And no, he isn't on the menu. The rookie Astros star doesn't clock in for his shift until noon, but that didn't stop dedicated Astros fans from getting in line early.

Peña clocked in at the Cane's located at 7009 Gulf Freeway, near I-45 and the I-610 South Loop, for a drive-thru shift.

Cane's tweeted a video of the long line of "Caniacs" at the restaurant to see him.

Peña gave the workers at the restaurant his signature hand heart before the meet-and-greet began.

Nathan Vogel, along with his fiancé Skyla Horn, waited nearly 24 hours to meet Peña.

When asked if it was worth the wait, Vogel emphatically said, "Yes."

In addition to serving customers, Peña also got some chicken, which he snacked on while signing autographs before his "shift."

PREVIOUS REPORT: MVP Jeremy Peña will work a drive thru shift at Raising Canes on the Gulf Freeway on Monday

Peña's play at shortstop earned him the AL 2022 Gold Glove Award, making him the first Astros rookie and the first rookie to earn the honor in MLB history.

He is also the first rookie shortstop to hit a home run in World Series history. The Astros selected him in the third round of the 2018 MLB draft, and he officially made his MLB debut in 2022.

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