Eat mor chikin!

Business is booming at Chick-Fil-A as gay marriage controversy actually HELPS  the fast-food chain

Daily Mail: All publicity is clearly good publicity –  when it comes to chicken burgers at least. Despite receiving a PR drubbing three months  ago when its boss publicly slammed gay marriage, business is booming at  fast-food chain Chick-Fil-A.

Consumer use of the restaurant, visits and  advertisement awareness all shot up in the third quarter, according to a  research report, as it was in the midst of an intense media frenzy. ‘There was a lot of talk that this  would hurt  Chick-Fil-A, but it actually helped the brand,’ said Jeff  Davis, president of  research specialist Sandelman & Associates.

Consumer use was up 2.2 per cent  in the  third quarter compared with the same period in 2011, according to a survey of more than 30,000 fast-food consumers  conducted in markets  where Chick-Fil-A is located. Market share was up 0.6 per cent and total ad awareness was up a significant 6.5 per cent during the period.

Gay rights groups held protests at the  restaurants and called for boycotts  in July after President Dan Cathy told a religious publication that his  company was ‘guilty as charged’ in supporting  the biblical definition of the family unit.

Supporters of the chicken burger chain also  held rallies outside stores but the bulk of national media and social media  coverage was negative. However, the bad PR has only fuelled  Chick-Fil-A’s popularity.

During the third quarter, Chick-Fil-A  broadened its regular customer base in 28 of 35 media markets, Davis  said.

The surprising results have dumbfounded PR  experts. ’Chick-Fil-A did everything wrong in the  book,’ Chris Goddard, president of CGPR, told USA  Today. ‘Their president shot from the hip, and his  PR team was not equipped or prepared (to respond). It was a PR disaster and a clear case of what not to do in a crisis.’

Others believe the success proves that not all brands must appeal to everyone. ‘Brands that take risks can win big rewards, but they must be prepared for the backlash that comes with it,’ Ronn Torossian, CEO at 5WPR, told the website. ‘They were saying to their core constituency:  Here’s what we believe.”

Dumbfounded PR experts? Perhaps they missed the massive turnouts that occurred for the support of Chick-Fil-A and traditional marriage. Silly experts…

DCG

Funniest Chick-fil-A Video of the Day

H/T  Hillbuzz

Kevin Dujan, the courageous conservative who is the editor and guiding spirit of the fantastic Hillbuzz blog, is a gay man based in Chicago.

Who knew chicken sandwiches are so funny?

On a serious note, Patriot Post is asking us to support the executives, franchise owners and more than 61,000 employees of Chick-fil-A for their Christian business practices, as well as their stated support for biblical values, which is to say traditional American family values. Click here to sign a petition letter!

H/t FOTM’s beloved tina and Laura B.!

~Eowyn

Boston Mayor wants to ban Chick-fil-A

Support Chick-fil-A

Mayor Menino on Chick-fil-A: Stuff it

Vows to block eatery over anti-gay traditional marriage attitude

Boston Herald:  Mayor Thomas Menino is vowing to block Chick-fil-A from bringing its Southern-fried fast-food empire to Boston — possibly to a popular tourist spot just steps from the Freedom Trail — after the family-owned firm’s president suggested gay homosexual marriage is “inviting God’s judgment on our nation.”

“Chick-fil-A doesn’t belong in Boston. You can’t have a business in the city of Boston that discriminates against a population. We’re an open city, we’re a city that’s at the forefront of inclusion,” Menino told the Herald yesterday.

“That’s the Freedom Trail. That’s where it all started right here. And we’re not going to have a company, Chick-fil-A or whatever the hell the name is, on our Freedom Trail.”

Chick-fil-A has been swept up in a growing national controversy over company president Dan Cathy’s remarks questioning gay homosexual marriage and lauding the traditional family.

Chick-fil-A did not respond to multiple requests for comment. But the company released a statement yesterday saying it has a history of applying “biblically-based principles” to managing its business, such as closing on Sundays, and it insisted it does not discriminate.

“The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect — regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender,” the statement read. “Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena.”

But that isn’t cutting the mustard with Menino. He said he plans to fire off a letter to the company’s Atlanta headquarters “telling them my feelings on the matter. If they need licenses in the city, it will be very difficult — unless they open up their policies,” he warned.

In February, Northeastern University balked at Chick-fil-A’s plans for an on-campus eatery after students squawked about reports the chain’s charitable arm donated millions of dollars to anti-gay homosexual groups.  Undeterred, Chick-fil-A — which boasts 1,600 eateries, including two in the Bay State — has been scouting the Hub for new locations and is reportedly eyeing a lease at 1 Union St., across the street from City Hall, the Holocaust Memorial and historic Faneuil Hall.

“It doesn’t send the right message to the country,” Menino said. “We’re a leader when it comes to social justice and opportunities for all.”

Ah, social justice?  So that’s more important than how a private business donates their money?  Apparently that is more important than how a private business owner wants to live his life.  And heaven forbid one have a right to have a different opinion.

So Menino, when are you going champion social justice for those that support plural marriages, bestiality, and NAMBLA? Wouldn’t want to limit their opportunities now, would you?

DCG