Chick-fil-A: Boycott Or Camp Out And Wait In Line?

WORCESTER, MA—The opening of a new Chick-fil-A franchise can be nothing short of a frenzy, akin to waiting for the doors to open on Black Friday or at the Apple store for the latest iPhone.

Usually, the franchise offers coupons for freebies or some other prize, and folks camp out to be the first through the doors for that country-style chicken on a bun with a pickle. As far as fast-food chicken sandwiches go, most argue that it's undeniably tasty.

But for others, the opening of a Chick-fil-A on Oct. 26 in Worcester sparked a boycott and protest. It's not about the chicken; it's about the company's owner's stance on gay rights, they say. It's a controversy about much more than food.

By all accounts, opening day was slamming, which isn't surprising, given the many posts of anticipation since it was announced that the restaurant was coming to the area.

But a handful took to the internet, as happens with every new Chick-fil-A opening these days, to announce their intentions to "never eat at this anti-gay establishment."

When asked if he was concerned about the anti-gay reputation, his position, and feedback on it, Worcester Chick-fil-A owner Chris Spring replied to Patch, "The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect. Everyone is welcome at Chick-fil-A Worcester, and I look forward to serving our community here. "

In the summer of 2012, controversy erupted surrounding the Georgia-based company when its CEO Dan Cathy's views on same-sex marriage were shared in an interview for the Baptist Press. The company had also made large donations to organizations that oppose same-sex marriage, such as the Marriage & Family Foundation, and it's well-known that the restaurant closes on Sundays.

Soon after, people filled the restaurants in support for the company and what they said were "Christian ideals," while others boycotted and protested on social media and at restaurants what they said were anti-gay and exclusionary sentiments.

In 2014, Cathy reportedly gave an interview to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. According to several publications, including Time, Cathy told the Journal-Constitution that he had regretted his statements that aligned with anti-gay attitudes.

The link to the piece appears to be broken, or removed, but Time reports that he said, "Every leader goes through different phases of maturity, growth and development and it helps by [recognizing] the mistakes that you make. And you learn from those mistakes. If not, you’re just a fool. I’m thankful that I lived through it and I learned a lot from it.”

Spring says he fell in love with the restaurant business when he worked at Jakes Lincoln Spa when he was just 12.

"I enjoyed getting to know my customers, knowing exactly how they took their coffee and having it ready before they even sat down," Spring told Patch. "I always had a dream to open my own restaurant after retiring from the Air Force, and my first experience with Chick-fil-A left a lasting impression of delicious food and exceptional service. The more I learned about Chick-fil-A and the care that goes into preparing the menu and serving guests and the community, I knew I had to pursue becoming a local franchise owner."

What's your position on the restaurant and its opening in Worcester? Share in our comments section.

Photo courtesy Chick-fil-A, media relations