Oconee Chick-fil-A Packed on 'Appreciation Day'

There were long lines and crowded parking lots at on Epps Bridge Parkway in Oconee County Wednesday, as customers turned out in support of the restaurant chain that's been at the center of debate over the last couple of weeks.

At 6:30 p.m., traffic was backed up in the turn lane on Epps Bridge Parkway while customers waited to go through the drive-thru.

Aug. 1 was designated "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day" by former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee in response to the outcry against the company because of comments made by Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy . 

WSB reports Chick-fil-A issued the following statement: “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day was not created by Chick-fil-A. We appreciate all our customers and are glad to serve them all at any time.”

Did you eat at Chick-fil-A on "Appreciation Day"? What do you think about the controversy? Tell us in the comments below.

Doyle Bond and his wife, Athens residents, a week ago made plans to eat at the restaurant with a Bible study group.  The couple also heard about "Appreciation Day" on the news.

"We wanted to be a part of it, because we support their Christian views," he said.

An employee said the restaurant was the busiest he'd ever seen it.

Across northeast Georgia, it was a similar story.

Police and fire personnel were called to the Chick-fil-A in .

The . 

"Two quick observations so far from today: 1)We are highly, as in "super cali fragilistic expialidocious" proud of our team members today...they have worked so hard & so efficiently and offered tons of genuine 'my pleasure' comments. 2) We have been **incredibly** humbled by your patronage," a restaurant representative posted on the Winder location's Facebook page.

In Dacula, long lines were reported at the and the .

In Lilburn, . Lines extended to the back of the restaurant into the seating area. Nearby in Snellville, store patrons parked at a nearby church when the restaurant's parking lot became full.

Similarly around the country there were reports of packed Chick-fil-A restaurants, with customers in some cases willing to wait in line over 90 minutes for a sandwich and waffle fries.

The company has also been shown support on its Facebook page.

On the other side of the debate, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has called for opponents of Chick-fil-A to participate in National Same Sex Kiss Day at Chick-fil-A, slated for Friday, Aug. 3. 

According to its website, the organization also has launched a campaign for its supporters to "Skip the sandwich," and instead donate the average cost of a combo meal at Chick-fil-A to "help GLAAD shine a light on companies that keep discrimination on the menu."

Deanna Allen and Kristi Reed contributed to this report.

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