Will You Support Chick-fil-A Today?

Today, former Gov. Mike Huckabee, Florida U.S. Senate candidate Dave Weldon and multiple politcians from across the U.S. are calling on a national eat-in day at the fast-food chain, Chick-fil-A. 

Earlier this month, Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy and his company came under fire after he made anti-gay marriage comments in an interview with the Baptist Press.

According to a national Facebook event created by Huckabee, more than 570,000 people have RSVP'd for the event. 

On the event page Huckabee wrote:

"I have been incensed at the vitriolic assaults on the Chick Fil-A company because the CEO, Dan Cathy, made comments recently in which he affirmed his view that the Biblical view of marriage should be upheld. The Cathy family, led by Chick Fil-A founder Truett Cathy, are a wonderful Christian family who are committed to operating the company with Biblical principles and whose story is the true American success story ... It's a great American story that is being smeared by vicious hate speech and intolerant bigotry from the left.

" ... I ask you to join me in speaking out on Wednesday, Aug. 1 "Chick Fil-A Appreciation Day.” No one is being asked to make signs, speeches, or openly demonstrate. The goal is simple: Let's affirm a business that operates on Christian principles and whose executives are willing to take a stand for the Godly values we espouse by simply showing up and eating at Chick Fil-A on Wednesday, Aug. 1. Too often, those on the left make corporate statements to show support for same sex marriage, abortion, or profanity, but if Christians affirm traditional values, we're considered homophobic, fundamentalists, hate mongers, and intolerant." 

In the interview that got Cathy in hot water, he described his support for "the biblical defintion of the family unit," reports the Los Angeles Times.

“We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives,” Cathy said in the interview with Baptist Press.

The article noted that the popular restaurant chain trains workers “to focus on values rooted in the Bible.” Chick-fil-A's across the country are closed on Sundays for the Sabbath.

Chick-fil-A has restaurants across Florida, including on 4th Street North in St. Petersburg.

See also: Is Chick-fil-A Anti-Gay Marriage?