Current Events > Chik-Fil-A to return to UK after fleeing due to backlash in 2019

(+) Yeah! (+)

Chick-fil-A is making another foray into the United Kingdom.

The company said in a press release Thursday that it would open its first store in early 2025, with another four opening over the following two years.

Chick-fil-A opened a temporary store in Reading, a town west of London, in 2019, triggering protests by local LGBTQ+ rights activists. Soon after, the mall hosting the pop-up site said it would not extend the shops lease beyond the six-month trial period, local media outlet Berkshire Live reported.

For years, the restaurant chain has faced criticism for its past donations to Christian organizations, including the Salvation Army and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which have expressed opposition to gay rights, including same sex marriage.

In 2012, former CEO Dan Cathy, who is the son of Chick-fil-As founder Truett Cathy, told Christian publication The Baptist Press that he believed in the biblical definition of the family unit, which many took as a signal of his opposition to gay marriage.

However, in 2019 the restaurant chain changed the focus of its charitable foundation. It ended donations to anti-LGBTQ groups and said it would give exclusively to organizations working on education, homelessness and hunger.

From our earliest days, weve worked to positively influence the places we call home and this will be the same for our stores in the UK, Joanna Symonds, head of UK operations, said in this weeks statement.

We encourage our operators to partner with organizations which support and positively impact their local communities, delivering great food and wider benefits to those around them.

I had no idea the salvation army is anti LGBTQ. What the hell.

It may also shock you to learn that a lot of the stuff they sell in their stores was confiscated/stolen from the people who come to stay in their shelters and any money made by their purchase goes directly into the organization's pocket rather than helping the people they took the merchandise from

UK will finally know the joy of

"My Pleasure"

UK will finally know the joy of

"My Pleasure"

It may also shock you to learn that a lot of the stuff they sell in their stores was confiscated/stolen from the people who come to stay in their shelters and any money made by their purchase goes directly into the organization's pocket rather than helping the people they took the merchandise from

It may also shock you to learn that a lot of the stuff they sell in their stores was confiscated/stolen from the people who come to stay in their shelters and any money made by their purchase goes directly into the organization's pocket rather than helping the people they took the merchandise from

Also, real talk: I straight up just don't like Chick Fil A. I just don't find it very appetizing.

Also, in college I got my campus council to stop using them for catering because our dorm area housed the LGBTQ dorm.

I had no idea the salvation army is anti LGBTQ. What the hell.

Same. However, it's a church, so it makes sense.
Some people will angrily deny that anti-LGBT views are a feature of religion, but, well, the strong correlation is there and has been since the beginning, so...