How did Drake Maye spend his day off? At Market Basket.

Jonathan Andrews knew he wouldn’t be able to make it to work on Tuesday.

Why?

He had to meet Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.

Andrews, who works as an administrative coordinator at Boston Children’s Hospital, told his supervisor that he would be taking the day off in order to meet Maye at the newly opened MB Spirits adjacent to the Market Basket in Chelsea.

The 39-year-old Andrews decided to arrive at 4 a.m., four hours before the liquor store opened and 13 hours before Maye’s meet and greet was scheduled to begin.

“I always would rather overplan than underplan,” he said. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet somebody of Drake Maye’s stature. I didn’t want to miss out on it.”

Andrews was second in the lengthy queue that snaked around the side of the store and grew as every hour passed Tuesday afternoon. A little less than two weeks after his wife Ann Michael held her first public meet-and-greet at Market Basket’s North Andover location, Maye drew a similar-sized, overflowing crowd.

Many showed up wearing No. 10 jerseys or Patriots gear, eager to take a photo with the young quarterback that led their team to the Super Bowl this past February. Some donned pajama pants with Maye’s face printed on them. One sported a custom split jersey representing both the Patriots and the University of North Carolina, where Maye played college football.

Guillermo, a Patriots fan and Market Basket employee of 18 years, wore a pin listing the Patriots’ Super Bowl championships on the lapel of the company’s classic red jacket.

“I was going to put the jersey on, but I had to keep my uniform on,” he said. “But I have my jersey just in case.”

Once 5 p.m. hit, folks started filtering in for their opportunity to meet Maye. The first 200 also received an autographed poster of Maye.

Several tried to maximize the interaction. One fan invited Maye to his wedding in Topsfield in May 2028. Another asked for his rank in Rocket League, a video game Maye used to play for hours with his brothers. A few gave him gifts.

It was clear the moments, no matter how brief, would be the highlight of some people’s day, month, or maybe even year.

“Dude, that was [expletive] sick!” one fan yelled.

“Bro, he asked me how I was doing,” said his friend.

Two tourists visiting from Montreal couldn’t believe their luck and decided to stop by not because they’re Patriots fans but because Maye is on one of their fantasy football teams. Two Bentley students, Paree Patel and Brooke Tiziak, who also attended Ann Michael’s meet-and-greet, arrived at 11:30 a.m. to kick off Patel’s 21st birthday celebration.

Maye seemed to be having fun with it, too.

“Good god,” he said, when Andrews told him he had arrived at 4 a.m.

“He’s trying to big dog me,” he joked, when meeting one of the few fans taller than him.

“All that gear, and you got no Pats gear on,” he told the man that wore a Celtics jacket over a Bruins jersey.

Maye’s appearance was on behalf of Connecticut-based Athletic Brewing. Maye holds an undisclosed amount of equity in the popular non-alcoholic beer company, after he and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott became athlete-owners in September.

“Athletic’s growth story and challenger mindset immediately stood out to me,” Maye said in a statement. “The company started with an idea that many people doubted, stayed committed to its vision, and built a nationally recognized brand through hard work and determination. Becoming an athlete-owner gives me an opportunity to learn from that journey and begin building my own understanding of business and entrepreneurship.”

Earlier this year, Maye revealed in an interview with Men’s Health that he rarely drinks alcohol. He estimated he drinks fewer than 10 times a year.

“Unless I’m on the beach and getting a piña colada, it’s not something I really enjoy,” he said. “Sure, I may have missed some of those nights with some teammates, or some college buddies. But at the end of the day, I think, you know, it wasn’t worth it for me.”

Maye stayed for about an hour and 15 minutes before heading home. Those that didn’t get a chance to meet him expressed disappointment, but didn’t seem to have regrets about their decision to wait it out.

“I wouldn’t stand in line for anybody else,” one said.