Chick-fil-A digging themselves a hole

[Winged Victory]

Where I live, there is a Chick-fil-A at the airport (inside the security gate, so you need to have a ticket) and a mini-restaurant at the U of M. This makes it pretty darn easy not to eat there. I had no idea about their hiring practices or how extreme their views were on the GLBT community. As a Human Rights Campaign member, I hope there is a wide scale boycott.

It's not strange to me that they close on Sunday; liquor stores aren't open on Sundays in MN either, but that's because of a law, not because it's the Sabbath...

From a business perspective, it makes no sense to come outright and alienate your customers, their families, or friends. Making money should matter to a business, right? I hope they feel the hurt on their bottom line from boycotts.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

What a queer name. Is this some East Coast-based corporation?

It's a trademarkable contraction of "chicken filet."

 

[Warp Coil]

There are at least four Chick-Fil-A locations in my town. I can't help it... I love their food. It's too bad to hear about the views and comments by the founder, but damnit, I don't want to stop going there.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

It's not strange to me that they close on Sunday; liquor stores aren't open on Sundays in MN either, but that's because of a law, not because it's the Sabbath...

Well, then again, what's the reason for the law?

 

[The Dominion]

Not having them where I'm at, my reaction to the name was "chick fill a what?" then I got it.

 

[Winged Victory]

It's not strange to me that they close on Sunday; liquor stores aren't open on Sundays in MN either, but that's because of a law, not because it's the Sabbath...

Well, then again, what's the reason for the law?

Oops, my mistake! No liquor sales on Sundays in MN is a blue law, from Wikipedia:

A blue law is a type of law, typically found in the United States, Scandinavia and, formerly, in Canada, designed to enforce religious standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on Sunday shopping. Most have been repealed, have been declared unconstitutional, or are simply unenforced; though prohibitions on the sale of alcoholic beverages or prohibitions of almost all commerce on Sundays are still enforced in many areas.

Well, if the need arises, I'm off to Wisconsin on Sundays...

 

[NebulaClassGuy]

I don't see it as bigotry... I see it as one man expressing his opinion about gay marriage, who also happens to be the CEO of a large fast-food chain. That doesn't mean that Chick-fil-A as a company is anti-gay, merely that the individual who runs it personally disagrees with that lifestyle.

Not once has he or anyone associated with the company said that they would not serve a gay person. Additionally, how would they know if anyone they even employ is gay? Maybe there are some gay people who work for the company. You cannot judge or label a company or its values as a whole, by the comments of one individual. Especially when those comments in no way affect the business model of Chick-fil-A, as I indicated above... they will still serve anyone who wants to buy their food.

If the CEO had come out and said that he doesn't want to serve the gay community, THEN that would be wrong, for then it becomes discrimination against a certain group. But that's not the case here.

 

[gturner]

I don't often eat at Chick-Fil-A, but I do eat at an Egyptian restaurant owned by a man whose views on gay marriage probably make Chick-Fil-A's founder seem like Ellen DeGeneres'. I suspect many Muslim-owned restaurants are run by people whose views on LGBT issues are somewhat outside the mainstream of American political thought, where tolerance means mandated psychiatric treatment or jail time, and intolerance means public execution. Are the mayors of Boston and Chicago planning to ban Muslim restaurants?

Chick-Fil-A is also one of the few restaurants that are openly Hindu friendly, even if they don't realize it. Please, won't someone think of the cows?

 

[Robert Maxwell]

It's not strange to me that they close on Sunday; liquor stores aren't open on Sundays in MN either, but that's because of a law, not because it's the Sabbath...

Well, then again, what's the reason for the law?

Oops, my mistake! No liquor sales on Sundays in MN is a blue law, from Wikipedia:

A blue law is a type of law, typically found in the United States, Scandinavia and, formerly, in Canada, designed to enforce religious standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on Sunday shopping. Most have been repealed, have been declared unconstitutional, or are simply unenforced; though prohibitions on the sale of alcoholic beverages or prohibitions of almost all commerce on Sundays are still enforced in many areas.

Well, if the need arises, I'm off to Wisconsin on Sundays...

Bergen county, New Jersey still has pretty restrictive blue laws, too, which is one of the reasons I won't live there. (Well, that, and it is expensive as all hell.) Retail sales and alcohol sales are not permitted on Sundays there, so damn near everything is closed.

 

[Kira's Mom]

I don't see it as bigotry... I see it as one man expressing his opinion about gay marriage, who also happens to be the CEO of a large fast-food chain. That doesn't mean that Chick-fil-A as a company is anti-gay, merely that the individual who runs it personally disagrees with that lifestyle.

Not once has he or anyone associated with the company said that they would not serve a gay person. Additionally, how would they know if anyone they even employ is gay? Maybe there are some gay people who work for the company. You cannot judge or label a company or its values as a whole, by the comments of one individual. Especially when those comments in no way affect the business model of Chick-fil-A, as I indicated above... they will still serve anyone who wants to buy their food.

If the CEO had come out and said that he doesn't want to serve the gay community, THEN that would be wrong, for then it becomes discrimination against a certain group. But that's not the case here.

Have you not read some of the posts in this thread? The COMPANY donates money to anti-gay causes. It's not just the CEO. They are trying to squash the rights of gays any way they can. It has nothing to do with serving the gay community.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

There are at least four Chick-Fil-A locations in my town. I can't help it... I love their food. It's too bad to hear about the views and comments by the founder, but damnit, I don't want to stop going there.

I fully admit that I would have a hard time avoiding the temptation of going to Chick-Fil-A (if there was one in my area). I've only eaten there twice, but the sandwiches were delicious. It would be extremely difficult for me to resist.

Do some research about this company's history, and then see how good the sandwiches taste. It's not just his own opinion. His COMPANY actively gives money to HATE groups like the American Family Association. You know, the one Bryan Fischer is from- the guy who has been blaming the Aurora tragedy on liberals, gays, and evolution? They have a history of bigotry against blacks and Jews as well as gays.

So if you proudly eat there (general you here), then you may not be a bigot, but your money is going to bigots. And if you're okay with that, I feel bad for you.

Like I said, I had absolutely no idea about ANY of this when I ate at Chick-Fil-A.

(When I first replied in this thread I hadn't read any of those links, and I assumed it was the CEO's own personal views and nothing more. Okay, I should have read them first. Mea culpa.)

 

[Kira's Mom]

But some of you know this now and are still planning to eat there. Plus you obviously missed the "general you" part of my post. Jesus fucking Christ.

 

[cooleddie74]

Funny how a restaurant chain that supposedly operates on culturally conservative and Biblical principles blissfully serves pork items in some of their platters.

Food for thought. So to speak.

 

[gturner]

The Egyptian restaurant I like serves no pork, but their shwarma makes up for it.

Too bad no one is supposed to eat in Muslim-owned restaurants any more.

 

[propita]

We (Hubby and I) tried their food once. Kinda oily. Not crispy. Not really tasty. Chipotle's chicken salad is MUCH better.

Yeah, the owner can say whatever he wants. If the franchisees agreed to close on Sunday, they close on Sunday. But just because the owner has the right to say--and do--as he pleases, that does not remove that same right from those who disagree. If people don't like the beliefs of the owner and choose no to patronize the establishment because of those beliefs and don't wish to directly contribute to the owner's income (supporting those beliefs), these people don't have to go.

We didn't go back becuase the food didn't taste good before all this came out. But even if it did, we would choose to express our disagreement with his beliefs by not patronizing the place. We do not wish to directly contribute to his personal wealth. Same reason we don't shop at Walmart. We'd rather pay that little bit more elsewhere than give money to the Walton family.

 

[Gryffindorian]

I don't often eat at Chick-Fil-A, but I do eat at an Egyptian restaurant owned by a man whose views on gay marriage probably make Chick-Fil-A's founder seem like Ellen DeGeneres'. I suspect many Muslim-owned restaurants are run by people whose views on LGBT issues are somewhat outside the mainstream of American political thought, where tolerance means mandated psychiatric treatment or jail time, and intolerance means public execution. Are the mayors of Boston and Chicago planning to ban Muslim restaurants?

Chick-Fil-A is also one of the few restaurants that are openly Hindu friendly, even if they don't realize it. Please, won't someone think of the cows?

I'm curious, though. Does their restaurant come with a suicide bomber? Oh, never mind.

 

[cooleddie74]

The Egyptian restaurant I like serves no pork, but their shwarma makes up for it.

All this talk of great ethnic food is going to make me run out to my favorite Chinese restaurant and gain ten pounds before I even go to bed tonight.

Man, I could sure go for some plates of sweet and sour chicken and shrimps right now.

Damn you, Chick-fil-A thread!!!

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Yeah, I'm hungry now too!!!

 

[1001001]

I've never eaten at a Chick-fil-A before. I don't even know if they're around here.

Now, I most certainly won't.

It's amazing to me that people can get so worked up over something that has no impact on them whatsoever. Who cares what two consenting adults do? It makes no difference to me.

 

[NebulaClassGuy]

The CEO of a company has every right to decide what they want to donate their money to. Some may like the cause(s) they choose, and others may not like them. At the end of the day, the same freedom that gives them that choice also gives you, the individual consumer, the choice of giving that company your business or not. It is as simple as that.

I eat at Chick-fil-A because I like the food. That won't change, and I will continue to eat there, because when it comes to going someplace for food, it's all about just that... the food, not the politics, religion, or social views of the CEO.