All these Chick-fil-a stories in the media are telling of huge crowds across the nation

[npk]

How do they know that all these people in the parking lot aren't protesting Chick-fil-a. Some of the pictures I have seen on Facebook and Twitter have showed a good amount of protest signs at many of these restaurants. Not all, but many may be there protesting, and the media is not reporting that. I wonder how many people that are standing outside of these restaurants are customers. Just because there are large crowds at these places, doesn't necessarily mean that all are buying this crap.

[JoePhilly]

1. They are just picking locations in crazy red districts.

[hack89]

45. I wouldn't call Burlington in the suburbs of Boston a "crazy red district".

BURLINGTON — Hundreds of people jammed into the Burlington Mall’s food court Wednesday at the Chick-fil-A to support and dine at the controversial fast-food chain and to voice opposition to efforts from the mayor of Boston to block the restaurant from locating in the city.

http://bostonglobe.com/metro/2012/08/01/hundreds-gather-burlington-mall-support-and-eat-chick-fil-appreciation-day/rnqRNXDTdirTwaVaSdsevO/story.html

[LadyHawkAZ]

2. There weren't lines at the one here

when I was there this afternoon- surprising since it's in the Mormon Mall.

I was there for an hour and didn't actually see anyone approach Chick-Fil-A, although to be fair I didn't spend the whole hour watching.

[spanone]

3. these things play to the media.

[still_one]

32. They only play to the media if the right wing bigots make a statement. If the progressives protest

they barely mention it

[notadmblnd]

4. I heard they were giving away free food. It figures a bunch of cheap assed republicans would show up

[NYC_SKP]

5. Here is an article with 45 pictures of crowds in different cities.

LINK: http://washingtonexaminer.com/45-photos-of-insanely-long-lines-for-chick-fil-a-appreciation-day/article/2503792?custom_click=rss

Some are of people, others are of cars in line for the drivethru, I guess.

I think they're mostly bigots, not protesters.

[npk]

7. A friend of mine in Cali sent me word that some people were coming out to protest

but I am sure that is not the case in all parts of the country. I know it's not the norm in the south.

[cigsandcoffee]

6. It's a deep fried revolution! Everyone loosen your belt a notch!

I hope Republicans catch some delicious place espousing unGodly liberal views soon. I'm starving.

[doohnibor]

8. Just an off-topic question....

How long does it take for salmonella and dysentery to kick in? Sure would hate to read about one of those tainted chicken meat recalls tomorrow.

[Frustratedlady]

9. Two points...they got millions of dollars of free advertising...and,

If they truly had this many people at one time, I sure wouldn't have wanted to eat the food. I'm sure a lot of health/cleanliness issues were bypassed to keep up and I'd be surprised if they thoroughly cooked the chicken.

I could be wrong. Never eaten at Chick-fil-a.

[npk]

10. Not a big fan of fried chicken

But I would not be shocked if these restaurants undercooked more than a few chicken breasts. I couldn't imagine wanting to stand in a long line for some nasty, greasy chicken. But I guess people will do just about anything for hate.

[emilyg]

23. Then get their grilled chicken.

[npk]

24. I tried their food once and that was enough for me

I just don't eat much meat anymore these days.

[emilyg]

25. I don't either - some fish and

some chicken - no beef at all.

[npk]

26. My weakness is seafood.

[Hippo_Tron]

35. I won't lie, it's very good for fast food

It's less grease and more meat than your typical fast food chicken, and the soft serve ice cream is delicious. It's streamlined so that they essentially have several variations of one thing, whereas McDonalds and others are always offering new things like Filet o Fish or McRib rather than making a good initial product.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure as hell not eating there until they stop donating to the Family Research Council and Exodus International. Maybe if enough people boycott, somebody will open a knock-off that does basically the same thing. It can't be that difficult.

[xmas74]

11. a family member posted on facebook

about how disgusted he was when he saw the lines in Tulsa. He works nearby one and he said that they were backing up traffic.

[Grave Grumbler]

12. The vast majority of those who went to Chick-Fil-A today appear to be consumers.

This too shall pass.

[hughee99]

13. They should go to the one in New Hampshire

The crowd was so big they ran out of food and had to shut down from all the business. I didn't see anything about protesters.


http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/01/chick-fil-a-store-breaks-with-founder-to-sponsor-lgbt-pride/

[npk]

15. The latimes did report on some protests around their city

But not sure how large it was. Obviously it would be small by comparison to other parts of the country.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-chick-fil-a-day-20120802,0,1647505.story

[hughee99]

16. Did you see what the franchise in NH is doing?

That's one Chik-fil-A I'll still go to.

[npk]

18. Sorry I missed your link

That is good to hear that one franchise is taking a stand. It would be nice to see more follow suit.

[hughee99]

19. I wonder how many are franchises vs. corporate.

obviously the corporate ones don't have much choice, but it would be great to get more franchise owners on board with this.

[npk]

21. In my city Atlanta

most are corporate owned, but the ones in the farther metro counties are franchised owned. Of course that it not saying much since the suburbs of Atlanta are literally hell on earth for a liberal. But for other parts of the country it would be great for those that are franchised owned take a stand. After all if all these bigots are true to their word, then a franchise owner who has a different viewpoint then their own should not bother them.

[Brainstormy]

38. Atlanta here too

and what you say about hell on earth for a liberal is right. Pretty much for anybody who still thinks. I quit going to church in '96 when the pastor preached against allowing gay volleyball players in the Olympics. Don't suppose they'll suffer for my lack of business, but I never liked Chik Fil-A anyway. Too dry, and I hate the pickles.

[Luminous Animal]

29. They are all corporate. They don't follow the standard franchise model.

[hughee99]

43. Really?

It's weird because the guy who owns the franchise in NH probably wouldn't agree with you.

The people here might disagree as well http://franchises.about.com/od/franchisereviews/fr/chick-fil-a.htm
Of course, you could just see their own website http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Company/Careers-Franchise-Opportunity

[Luminous Animal]

47. Given that Chick-Fil-A requires rent that is 15% of sales, and another 50% of pretax profit...

He's not so much an "owner" but an operator.

[part man all 86]

51. Here is a comparsion, KFC franchise is 2 million dollars and hickfila is 5 thousand.

Arby's is 774,000 to 2,500,000.

[Luminous Animal]

28. Yay! So proud of you to stand on the side of bigots!

[hughee99]

44. Hurray for me...

You didn't actually read my link, did you.

[Luminous Animal]

49. Please see post #48. I meant to reply to you but replied to myself.

[Luminous Animal]

48. Actually, I did miss the link because it wasn't in the post that I responded to but I

did find it after looking for it.

But, as I said, that operator (even Chick-Fil-A doesn't call them owners) hands over at least 65% of profit back to corporate - handing over the lion's share of his labor to the bigots.

[hughee99]

50. It's kind of a shitty deal for the "managers" (I think that's what the call them)

but if one is going to buck his corporate owners and do the right thing, I think we should support them.

[freshwest]

14. GlennBeckistan strikes again. They've got so many people on their list.

[Gold Metal Flake]

17. It's that famous Liberal Media Bias.

[progressivebydesign]

20. It conjures up images of good white Christians coming out against Civil Rights in the 60s.

It's really the same thing, same players. A bunch of bigoted "Christians" standing up for their "values," which alway seem to include disenfranchising people that aren't like them.

"The Help" could be rewritten in the present day, with gays.

We had laws that people of different races couldn't marry... and those same people came out and protested when it was going to become legal. Same people... same fucked up religious ideas. I guarantee that 70% of those fine upstanding couples in line are having kinky sex with their secretary, or the pool boy, cheating on their taxes, and/or abusing their kids... and making a statement today in line of a FUCKING fast food place about the rights of others they DEEM to be immoral.

[emilyg]

22. They were buying. I saw.

[Luminous Animal]

30. And I know what side of this issue you stand.

[emilyg]

41. Good to know you're psychic.

[juajen]

31. Their store is always crowded here. So much so, that they added an additional drive-thru.

I believe their food is superior to most of the fast food restaurants in our area, if not all. I go there because I love their chicken soup and their salads, plus I can get fresh fruit also. I love waffle fries and their chicken sandwiches. I do not believe they should have even admitted they were anti-gay. I swear most people don't even know. We cannot get into religious wars over food in this country. As long as they are not refusing to serve anyone who doesn't agree with their philosophy, I believe they have a right to open a business and not be hassled. However, it was downright stupid to announce they were anti-gay. It was an invitation for protests. Stupid, stupid, stupid. They are also very pro-family. Nothing wrong with that. Some of those little children eating their waffle fries and playing on the playground will grow up and realize they are gay AND love chic fil a.

[RandiFan1290]

39. What did you order?

[emilyg]

42. Nothing - I was stuck in traffic

by the restaurant. Could have used a cold drink.

[WCGreen]

27. Phlash Mobs....

[Did I Just Type This]

33. Fox news had a 5 minute story on chick fil a

Kinda funny story, showed long lines at some mall, odd thing is, i live in boston and there aren't any on boston.

[JI7]

34. Local News showed some Gay Guy defending Chick Fila

saying they haven't discriminated against him. i think he just wanted to eat the food there. and i would say a good percentage of people are just using this as an excuse to eat junk food . try to make up some shit about free speech as the reason for doing so. as if they are making some huge sacrafice or martyrs or some shit.

[nightscanner59]

36. Supporting the free speech that snowballs to youth brutal bullying does not come without retaliation

I'm planning on picketing the planned location in Mountain View, Ca. not only for their discriminatory practices but because they plan to supplant a Sizzler (?!) That's about three steps downhill in my book.
This is the very kind of uber-fundamentalist crap that leads children to throw rocks at someone percieved as "different" produces teen runaway orphans who hopefully know enough to come to San Francisco, . Yet, didn't Cheezus advocate only the sinless should cast the first stone?, so how hypocritical can they get?
These supporters are propping up belief systems with far worse consequences than free speech.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

37. How did they happen to have that much food on hand to accommodate that many people?

When we have power outages McDomalds and the rest of them run out of
food before the generators run out of fuel. This just seems more planned
than a couple days notice...just sayin.

[Bolo Boffin]

40. Huckabee gave them plenty of notice to get supplies up.

Their chicken supplier is Tyson, so they could handle the volume.

[truebrit71]

46. That would explain why their chicken tastes like shit...

...had half a Chicken sandwich once, very under-whelming...

[EmeraldCityGrl]

52. Tyson chicken, Walmart all out of Fayetteville, Ak.n/t