Fast food store Chick-fil-A is due to return to the UK as part of a renewed effort to make a dent in the UK market.
The restaurant chain, which was forced to shutter its first England branch in 2019, had previously faced controversy over the anti-LGBTQ+ stance of its executives.
In a fresh attempt to appeal to UK diners, Chick-fil-A is set to open five stores across the UK, bringing with it up to 120 jobs per branch.
While relatively unknown in the UK, Chick-fil-A is a popular dining spot in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico, and it has over 2800 stores across the three locations.
At this point, it’s unclear how successful the upcoming Chick-fil-A UK launch will be. In 2019, gay rights campaigners protested outside the restaurant and called for a boycott before executives announced the food chain wouldn’t renew its contract.
It’s also been reported that the brand hopes to also open stores in other parts of Europe and Asia. So who is behind the Chick-fil-A brand and why has it been so controversial?
Who owns Chick-fil-A?
Chick-fil-A was founded by Samuel Truett Cathy, a devout Southern Baptist, in 1967 in Georgia and has been largely operated by his family ever since.
His sons, Dan and Bubba Cathy, currently own and run the fast food chain. Truett’s grandson, Andrew Cathy, is currently acting as the CEO.
The brand has also faced controversy following remarks that some of its executives have made regarding to same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ rights.
In 2012, Dan Cathy appeared on a radio show where he shared his stance on marriage. He said: “I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage’.
“I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about.”
The Cathy family has also been linked to making a string of donations to anti-LGBTQ+ groups that oppose same-sex marriage and back conversion therapy. Chick-fil-A founder Samuel funded charities such as Exodus International, a group which promoted gay and transgender conversion therapy.
Why didn’t Chick-fil-A open in the UK before?
Chick-fil-A initially opened a branch in The Oracle Center in Reading, UK, in 2019. However, after a six-month trial period, it was forced to close in 2020 amid continued protests linked to the chain’s anti-LGBTQ+ stance.
Another store was also opened in Scotland but that branch also quietly shut in 2020 after a petition gained more than 1,200 signatures calling for its closure.
Scott Cuthbertson, manager of LGBTI Scotland, who started the petition, told PinkNews at the time: “Chick-fil-A is a company with a terrible record of supporting anti-LGBT+ causes.
“Many LGBT people in the Highlands and beyond expressed alarm at the opening of a restaurant with such a record, and values that went against all that we have achieved in making Scotland a better place for LGBT+ people.”
