Upstate couple says Beacon's onion rings helped nudge first newborn into 2016

The Beacon Drive-In will forever be tied to the birth of a Spartanburg couple's son on New Year's Day.

"We heard that the onion rings helped induce labor," said 27-year-old Morgan Zell. "It's apparently a tall tale in Spartanburg. And the second we left The Beacon, my water broke, so it holds true."

Coleman Andrew Zell was born at 12:23 a.m. Friday at Spartanburg Medical Center. The newborn weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce and was 20.5 inches long. Coleman was the first baby delivered at the hospital in 2016.

"Having our first child... It's a whole new world that opens for you when your son is born, laid on his mother's chest and a couple hours later ... people are coming in and out taking pictures," Coleman's father, 31-year-old Evan Zell, said. "It's interesting having the first baby of the year."

After attending a prenatal appointment Thursday morning, Morgan said she decided to eat onion rings for lunch at The Beacon Drive-In after hearing stories of the Spartanburg delicacy's ability to help nudge nature along. The couple went there for lunch at about 1:45 p.m. Thursday and left 30 minutes later. On the way to their car in the parking lot, Morgan said her water broke.

"I just started laughing," she said. "We were walking to the car and I said, 'Evan, I think my water broke,' and he goes, 'You are kidding me?' And I said, "No, I think it really did."

The two drove home and changed clothes but didn't immediately go to the hospital because they had already made plans to watch the Orange Bowl on television that afternoon with friends Travis and Beth Vaughn in Boiling Springs. Evan said they watched the Clemson Tigers take on the Oklahoma Sooners through the football game's first half.

"We watched it until about 6:30 p.m., and I started having contractions," Morgan said. "That's when we went to the hospital."

They were able to watch the end of game while Morgan was in triage. Morgan said she was happy to see Clemson win the game and head to the national championship.

Evan said he felt frazzled by the whole experience.

"I didn't realize that after eating at The Beacon it was going to be as fast as it was with the results," he said. "We ate and we were walking to the car leaving. We were still on Beacon property and her water broke. It's the craziest thing. It's absolutely the craziest thing."

The Zells have lived in the Upstate for the past four years. Morgan works as a speech therapist at Anderson Mil Elementary School, while Evan is an assistant pro at Three Pines Country Club. Family members from across the country are scheduled to visit Spartanburg through March to see Coleman.

"We are extremely blessed," Evan said. "I have a healthy wife and healthy son. Everybody is winning right now."