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A clear sky. Low near 70F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph..

A clear sky. Low near 70F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.

Gayla Warren, left, and Mossman's owner, Rick Mossman, right, smile for a photo at the celebration and award ceremony for the restaurant and catering business' sale of its 1 millionth meal of fish and chips.

Fish and chips is Mossman's signature dish. The business celebrated its 1 millionth fish and chips meal sold by giving away prizes such as a cruise, free airfare and a beach trip.

From left, Angie Nava, Molly Goforth, River Goforth and Miranda Jarrett celebrate with confetti at the celebration for Mossman's sale of 1 million fish and chips meals.

The third-place winner of Mossman's celebration held for the 1 millionth fish and chips meal sold, David Hernandez, won a trip to Huntington Beach.

Second-place winner Angelina Rodriguez holds her prize of free airfare at Wednesday's celebration at Mossman's restaurant.

Amanda Wilson won the top prize, a free cruise, after being the 1 millionth customer to purchase fish and chips at Mossman's. 

Gayla Warren, left, and Mossman's owner, Rick Mossman, right, smile for a photo at the celebration and award ceremony for the restaurant and catering business' sale of its 1 millionth meal of fish and chips.

Fish and chips is Mossman's signature dish. The business celebrated its 1 millionth fish and chips meal sold by giving away prizes such as a cruise, free airfare and a beach trip.

From left, Angie Nava, Molly Goforth, River Goforth and Miranda Jarrett celebrate with confetti at the celebration for Mossman's sale of 1 million fish and chips meals.

The third-place winner of Mossman's celebration held for the 1 millionth fish and chips meal sold, David Hernandez, won a trip to Huntington Beach.

Second-place winner Angelina Rodriguez holds her prize of free airfare at Wednesday's celebration at Mossman's restaurant.

Amanda Wilson won the top prize, a free cruise, after being the 1 millionth customer to purchase fish and chips at Mossman's. 

The usual din and bustle filled Mossman's Coffee Shop downtown when, just before 2 p.m. Wednesday, the atmosphere turned into something akin to a game show.

With five finalists lined up on a red carpet in front of TV camera crews, owner Rick Mossman, decked out in slacks and a tie, announced that the moment they'd all been waiting for had finally arrived.

One lucky winner among them had ordered Mossman's 1 millionth fish and chips meal — the signature dish for which the restaurant is famous — and that person would receive a $1,000 voucher on Princess Cruises.

But first, fourth place — the 999,997th fish and chips customer, a couple as it turned out — received a fish fry for six. Third place (999,998) won a three-day, two-night stay in Huntington Beach. Second (999,999) took home a $500 airfare voucher.

It was then that the confetti cannons went off, showering first-place winner Amanda Wilson with shiny little stars that clung to her hair and blouse. Mossman handed her a voucher good for a sea cruise.

"I don't win anything ever," she said, nervous amid all the attention and a bit sheepish in admitting it wasn't actually her idea to head to Mossman's southwest Bakersfield location Saturday night just before closing time.

Wilson goes to Mossman's for fish and chips "a lot," she said, but the idea to stop by that night originated with a friend named Rick — and he wasn't even on hand to celebrate or be celebrated.

Instead, Rick, whose last name she did not provide, was in Walker Basin, well outside of cellphone range and still unaware the two of them had won anything at all. She had no way of breaking the news to him.

Where will they travel? Probably Mexico, Wilson responded, or maybe Alaska. Hopefully soon, she said, adding, "It's exciting."

Mossman himself sounded a bit relieved at the prospect of wrapping up a promotion that has taken up the better part of a month.

For weeks, people had stopped him everywhere he went — church, the grocery store, the bank — asking about the 1 millionth customer event.

The idea for the giveaway was Mossman's, as he recalled Wednesday, but he credited his son for approving of it during an outing earlier this summer. Now there's talk of doing a similar celebration, such as the restaurant's millionth pancake order or something.

That still might happen, he said, but not yet. Not so soon after the promotions and the excitement of the final counting of tickets Sunday morning, when his girlfriend, Gayla Warren, said she got chills as the tally neared the big number.

No, Mossman said, the next event will have to wait. He and his crew haven't fully recovered from the work and the stress of it all.

"We need a couple days," he said.

Every restaurant worth its salt (or fryer) has a signature dish. The item that helps put it on the map when it opens and keeps people coming b…

Positive Cases Among Kern Residents: 286,398

Recovered and Presumed Recovered Residents: 273,186

Percentage of all cases that are unvaccinated: 72.25

Percentage of all hospitalizations that are unvaccinated: 83.19

Source: Kern County Public Health Services Department

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