WHAT’S BEING CLAIMED:
- Chick-fil-A’s alleged “anti LGBT+ stance” has cost it its first UK branch, which is set to close at the end of its six-month lease.
- Meanwhile, Chick-fil-A’s sales in America seem unaffected.
- Experts surmise thatChick-fil-A’s reputation might hinder any plans of expansion or brand partnerships.
Chick-fil-A’s alleged “anti LGBT+ stance” has cost it its first UK branch, which is set to close at the end of its six-month lease.
A Chick-fil-A representative told Business Insider, “Chick-fil-A is always evaluating potential new locations in the hope of serving customers great food and award-winning service. This six-month pilot licensed location was part of our exploration in international markets.”
According to a representative for The Oracle shopping center in Reading, the chain’s lease will not extend beyond the six-month pilot period, calling it “the right thing to do.”
The UK branch opening last week faced protests from critics who condemned Chick-fil-A’s “anti LGBT+ stance.”
Protesters linked Chick-fil-A to anti-LGBTQ legislation in Uganda, such as the “Kill the Gays” bill that would impose the death penalty on homosexuality.
Chick-fil-A had previously donated to the American nonprofit National Christian Foundation (NCF) — which donated to groups connected to anti-LGBTQ legislation. But the chain stopped donating in 2012. Meanwhile, Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy kept donating to an affiliated nonprofit as an individual.
Chick-fil-A’s philanthropic arm, the Chick-fil-A Foundation, now donates to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Salvation Army to help fund sports camps and a holiday gift-giving program.
Rodney Bullard, the head of the foundation, told Business Insider that the donations are part of their “calling” to be “relevant and impactful in the community” by helping children “be everything that they can be.”
Bullard continued, “For us, that’s a much higher calling than any political or cultural war that’s being waged.”
Chick-fil-A had insisted on having an inclusive workplace, but their anti-LGBTQ reputation precedes them. Progressive publications often paint Chick-fil-A as a homophobic company, and new branches are met with protest.
Meanwhile, Chick-fil-A’s sales in the US seem unaffected. Their annual sales have increased from $4.6 billion in 2012 to $10.5 billion in 2018. The chain also consistently tops rankings for customer service and food.
But the chain’s reputation could hinder any plans of expansion or brand partnerships. Chris Allieri, founder at brand consultancy Mulberry & Astor, told Business Insider earlier this year that he would advise against working with a company that appears to support “discrimination and hate.”
Source: AOL
9 comments
This article is absolute BS. It is so far out of date and character with the way Chick Fil A supports groups and communities today it is laughable, at best. Get your facts straight, interview someone who knows and then report the real story. Closed on Sundays so their employees can enjoy their family/time off and still their sales numbers are far and ahead of others. Who KNEW you could be so far out of touch today? DON’T CHANGE YOUR NAME TO WHO NEWS? Ridiculous and no substance at all. I’m through with this NEWS??? site.
They are a good outfit. Not just for great food but because they don’t support perversion and mental illness being pushed on the rest of us.
I resent the wording and tone of this anti- Chik-Fil-A story. Journalism, unless otherwise noted, is supposed to be objective allowing the READERS to make up their own minds, and not be “steered” by the writer’s opinion.
When did the media decide to be amateur policy makers?
I make up my OWN mind! ! !
Total BS Chick filet is by far the absolute best fast food company out there! Employees are treated and paid above average and they are expected to show up clean and presentable with good attitudes and offer good service — so much better than McDonald’s who now hires people who make your flesh crawl and take away your appetite!
This is an obviously slanted hit piece. Tip for AOL: report real unbiased news. we are not buying your propaganda any longer.
Your article is so biased. You don’t mention how Chic-Fil-A provided food and drink to The Pulse Tragedy patrons that were given blood the next few days after the tragedy. It’s always one sided when it has to do with conservatives. Chic-Fil-A is a first class business and is accommodating to everyone.
Every Company should be able to stand up for what they believe. Thats what made America such a great country. The world is in a crisis right now. Oh by the way, lets define the word “Crisis”. a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger. I believe that we can all believe this to be true. This world in general is a great place of individuality. It doesn’t work because we want everyone to conform to our i·de·ol·o·gy. It never worked in a marriage and it will never work in a One World Government that wants to control your thinking, your beliefs, and so forth. Go figure out what this means?
What all of the above said.
No, what is happening is people are seeing these “activists” for what they are: demagogues and hypocrites who got used to abusing the system and now are trying to keep that power they enjoyed under the previous POTUS. This is all TDS and the like, and the real truth is they cannot handle that “franchise” businesses that pander to them, such as Burger King, cannot get away with using their ideology to sell inferior products.