Chick-Fil-A and Public Improvements Coming to Southbank

[Jaxson]

It is fitting that Baptist would choose to partner with such an over-the-top, let's shove our religious beliefs down your throat corporation as Chick-fil-A.  The last time I had the pleasure of dining there, I couldn't get over the selection of songs of praise & worship that everyone was forced to listen to.  I guess that godless secular music just isn't acceptable in one of these holy restaurants.

Just don't go looking for a chicken sandwich if you happen to be visiting a patient there on a sunday.

When I worked at Chick-fil-A at the Orange Park Mall, our store did not push religion on customers.  I cannot speak for all Chick-fil-A locations, but I can only recall two things about my experience there:
1. Chick-fil-A had an in-house magazine that we kept in the break room.  I remember that it was a very faith-based publication.  I remember that it had an advice column that had some interesting responses to reader questions.  For example, encouraging a reader to use prayer and persuasion to convince his gay friend to go straight.  My lunchtime reading?  This high schooler read the Village Voice.  I used tp buy one at B. Dalton on the way to work.
2. My co-workers mostly happened to go to the same church.  I felt awkward because I was not a part of their clique.  It was even more awkward when my on-campus protest against the first gulf war resulted in random, rude comments from my colleagues.  For example, I sat down during the national anthem during a pep rally.  "Go back to Cuba," was what one of my 'friends spat at me when we were working behind the counter.

When I go to Chick-fil-A as a customer, I only notice that the stores are clean, the workers are friendly, and the food tastes good.  If there is any bible thumping, it must be somewhere else!

[Dapperdan]

It is fitting that Baptist would choose to partner with such an over-the-top, let's shove our religious beliefs down your throat corporation as Chick-fil-A.  The last time I had the pleasure of dining there, I couldn't get over the selection of songs of praise & worship that everyone was forced to listen to.  I guess that godless secular music just isn't acceptable in one of these holy restaurants.

Just don't go looking for a chicken sandwich if you happen to be visiting a patient there on a sunday.

What a  stupid thing to say. It is a private business and they don't have to come to you to approve what they do. They can play what they wish on their speakers, and they can hire who they wish to hire and they can be open whenever they want to be open. I have yet to go into one and it not be very busy. They must be doing something right. Go take your business elsewhere if you hate them that much. You are free to do so just as they are free to do as they wish. Just remember, they are taking all this to the bank while you continue to hate them for being succesful.

[904Scars]

meh.

I have to agree with Dapperdan on this one.

Praise and Worship musical selections are pretty great even if you don't believe in the religious derivation.  It represents a way of life just as much as any kind of musical affiliation.

I buy Quaker Oats, despite the fact that the gentle Friends are also shoving their beliefs down my throat. (with all that oatmeal goodness) Similarly, Amish apple butter, Holy Roller Healing Soup and goods from the Catholic thrift shop.  I have yet to get the shivers from the holy spirit, renounce electricity, or rush out to handle snakes as a result. Nor have I felt any urge to chant the rosary.

I don't eat much at Chik Fil A, (fried foods) but what ive had has been tasty, and definitely healthier than the truly evil food that is being shoved down the throats of most americans by godless corporate sludge friers like Burger King and McDonalds.

If they don't want to work on Sunday, great.  Its nice to see a non communist restaurant.

HAHA, 100% agree with this! Great point

[blizz01]

Chick-Fil-A - what's the latest?

[CS Foltz]

Yes we really really had to have that $350 Million Dollar white elephant! I wonder just how much "Gate Concrete" made off of this one? ICE should have shut that project down from the start, but noooooooooooooo! The City wonders why we are $58 Million Dollars in the hole ......with projects like the Courthouse, we should have filed Chapter 11 long before now and get it over with!

[danno]

[urbanlibertarian]

Chick-Fil-A - what's the latest?

Open for business as far as I know.

[Duke]

Chick-Fil-A - what's the latest?

Open for business as far as I know.

Yes, for several months now...

[Captain Zissou]

Yes we really really had to have that $350 Million Dollar white elephant! I wonder just how much "Gate Concrete" made off of this one? ICE should have shut that project down from the start, but noooooooooooooo! The City wonders why we are $58 Million Dollars in the hole ......with projects like the Courthouse, we should have filed Chapter 11 long before now and get it over with!

[KuroiKetsunoHana]

If they don't want to work on Sunday, great.  Its nice to see a non communist restaurant.

working on sunday = communism?  what?  i must've missed the memo.

[danno]

I can remember back in the day when Publix was closed on Sunday.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

I can remember back in the day when Publix was closed on Sunday.

I don't know how many of you are from small towns, but it was typical for all of the white collar businesses, bank, insurance, 'the' dr.'s office, etc,  to shut down around 12 on wednesdays, also.

[danno]

When I lived in England it was the Law.  It was nice. They have changed the Sunday Licencing laws in recent years though.

[stjr]

In light of some previous discussion in this thread, I thought this article appearing in Google News would be of interest to some:

Yes, Chick-fil-A Says, We Explicitly Do Not Like Same-Sex Couples
by Michael Jones · January 26, 2011

http://news.change.org/stories/yes-chick-fil-a-says-we-explicitly-do-not-like-same-sex-couples

Bet Chick-fil-A wishes this month would end. Over the past few weeks, the restaurant chain's deep ties to the anti-gay movement have been exposed and uncovered by a number of activists, most notably Jeremy Hooper at Good As You. Whether it's Focus on the Family, the National Organization for Marriage, the Pennsylvania Family Institute, or Exodus International, Chick-fil-A ties run deep.

Of course, the President of Chick-fil-A wants gay people to share no hard feelings. The restaurant will gladly feed homosexuals gobs of chicken sandwiches, after all. But when it comes to marriage, Chick-fil-A believes strongly that same-sex couples just don't deserve equal rights.

As we wrote about a few weeks ago, Chick-fil-A's charitable arm, the WinShape Foundation, has been particularly active in the fight against marriage equality. They've hosted conferences with some of the leading opponents of gay marriage in this country. A higher up at WinShape has even praised the efforts of anti-gay activist David Blankenhorn for working against marriage equality, and for articulating a solid reason why American culture should reject same-sex couples.

Now comes some email correspondence that Good As You has shared on their blog, where the WinShape Foundation's Retreat Center -- a center run by the charitable arm of Chick-fil-A -- admits that they have a severe distaste for LGBT people.

The email correspondence goes a little something like this. Someone writes WinShape an easy question about whether their retreat center is open to LGBT people. WinShape's response:

"WinShape Retreat defines marriage from the Biblical standard as being between one man and one woman. Groups/Individuals are welcome who offer wholesome, educational conferences and programs that are compatible with Biblical values and WinShape's purpose," WinShape wrote back.

Kind of some corporate speak, right? So the activist wrote back: can you just give a clear-cut answer? And WinShape confirmed:

"We do not accept homosexual couples because of the statement in our contract."

And so it goes like this: Chick-fil-A is a restaurant where franchises frequently donate to anti-gay organizations like the Pennsylvania Family Institute, Focus on the Family and others. The restaurant's charitable arm, WinShape, holds conferences for opponents of gay marriage and praises their work. And this charitable arm's Retreat program puts a blanket ban on gay couples using their facilities, because they "do not accept homosexual couples."

Yet the President of Chick-fil-A still says that all people, including LGBT people, are treated with respect by the restaurant? Huh, what a funny definition of respect.

Meanwhile, check this story out. So the Human Rights Campaign's NOMExposed project tried to submit an equality-minded video to the Ruth Institute's "Reel Love Video Challenge." The Ruth Institute is an affiliate of the National Organization for Marriage, and they're running a contest where folks can submit videos talking about what love means. The video below was originally accepted, but then promptly booted out of the project once the Ruth Institute became aware that it actually championed equality for same-sex couples.

Here's the kicker: the Ruth Institute's "Reel Love Video Challenge" has a tie-in to Chick-fil-A's WinShape Foundation. Wouldn't it be nice to hear why the Ruth Institute and the WinShape Foundation find the below video so offensive? After all, what is love if it isn't equal?

[Ernest Street]

These people don't realize that if they sold their sandwich (or a Crystal version) for $1.99 they would have people ordering a dozen at a time.

Get with the times and offer a .99 Cent menu! or something similar...who freaken cares if they are closed on Sundays...they understand that they lose your business for the Lord on that day.