Chick-fil-A: Support is about more than 'chikin'

BLUEFIELD — — Chick-fil-A fans proved Wednesday they will definitely “eat more chikin” to support a favorite restaurant, its embattled chief operating officer and his right to believe what he wishes.

Throngs of fans waited hours at the Mercer Mall restaurant to show their support during what Mike Huckabee deemed “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day.” Despite the wait and the lines that stretched to the mall’s Center Court at times, the participants largely smiled and chatted in a shared purpose, as they anticipated placing an order, paying and walking away with warm meals in white-and-red bags.

But, there was more at stake than just a few nuggets or a sandwich with buttery, toasted bread. The folks who braved the crowd were on a mission to deliver a message.

“I came out tonight to show support for Chick-fil-A, No. 1 because of the stand they took for traditional marriage, and No. 2, because they took a stand,” Carla Bragg, of Princeton, said.

Bragg and her family started out in the line at approximately 5:30 p.m., and by 7, they were close to the order counter, where a full team of Chick-fil-A employees worked quickly.

Bragg said she was eager to order and enjoy dinner, but that the wait would be worth it, even if the restaurant sold out before she got to the front of the line.

While Chick-fil-A has always adhered to a corporate culture that leaned toward the conservative, the chain whose spokes-cows encourage patrons to “Eat More Chikin” fell under fire in the wake of comments COO Dan Cathy made in a recent edition of The Baptist Press.

In the article, Cathy reportedly said, “We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.”

Immediately, gay rights groups began speaking out against Chick-fil-A, arguing that the restaurant’s stance behind traditional marriage made it an enemy to same-sex marriages and equal rights for all people.

While the local Chick-fil-A fans had various reasons for showing their support, they felt the organization was wrongly targeted in retaliation for Cathy’s beliefs.

Bragg said she was proud of him and believed the Chick-fil-A debate gave like-minded people a chance to stand up and be heard.

“As individuals, sometimes we don’t have a platform that is big enough to stand up for what we believe. This gives all of us individuals a chance to stand up together and make a statement,” she said.

Millette Addison, of Bastian, Va., made the trip across the state line to support Cathy’s right to speak his mind and his heart.

“I still believe in America and the freedom we stand for — freedom of speech, freedom to believe. I stand for one woman and one man in a marriage, and I stand with Chick-fil-A. I cried when I saw all the pictures on Facebook, of people supporting their cause,” Addison said.

Like most of the people who lingered in a double-line stretching approximately 200 people deep at times, Addison was familiar with the arguments Chick-fil-A detractors made, including allegations that the chain of independently owned restaurants backs anti-gay rights groups.

“I think it’s hypocrisy, because they are allowed to do what they want to do, but we’re not supposed to do what we want to do and what we believe. I think more people need to stand up and be bold in what they believe,” she said.

Mike Ball, of Brushfork, had two reasons he chose Chick-fil-A Wednesday.

“I’m here to support the cause for traditional marriage and because Chick-fil-A is one of my favorite places to eat,” he said.

Many of the patrons came with church groups or families, but Zane Lawhorn, a Princeton businessman, stood in line alone, patiently awaiting his turn to order.

“I came out to support a Christian business. I think a business owner has the right to run a business by his own moral values,” the optometrist said. “That’s the way I run my business, and I wouldn’t want anyone else telling me I couldn’t do that.”

On a national level, several high profile politicians have vocally disagreed.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Philadelphia City Councilman James Kenney and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel have all indicated they would seek to block business permits, should Chick-fil-A, an Atlanta-based organization, try to expand there.

The idea that government officials could block Chick-fil-A because of Cathy’s faith-based beliefs had some of Wednesday’s supporters concerned about the direction of the nation.

“I am so proud of the turnout of the area because of what it stands for,” Carol Caldwell, of Brushfork, said. “If we don’t stand up for something, we might lose everything.”

Her husband, Mick, agreed jovially with her stance, but he was most eager for dinner.

“I’m just hungry. I’m scared to death that I’ll get up there and the manager will tell me he’s out of chicken,” Mick said, with a smile.

The support of the Mercer Mall location was strong, but owner and operator Mike Wade took the organized chaos of an extremely busy Wednesday in stride.

“We’re here to serve chicken, to serve everybody the same, every day, except of course on Sunday,” Wade said.

All of Chick-fil-A’s locations are closed on Sunday.

By 7 p.m., Wade estimated his restaurant had logged in excess of 1,000 transactions, which he said equaled about 3,000 orders, since most patrons ordered for more than one person.

“We treated it like a holiday weekend and set out to serve our customers,” he said.

While Chick-fil-A’s backers had their say Wednesday, opponents have called for smaller-scale displays in coming days.

Proponents of same-sex marriage reportedly asked supporters to donate the cost of a Chick-fil-A meal, approximately $6.50, to gay and lesbian rights groups.

In addition, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, known as GLAAD, has proposed a “National Same-Sex Kiss Day” Chick-fil-A restaurants, encouraging participants to post photos of their kisses to social media sites. The organization reportedly offered tips to participants, including advice not to travel in groups and to keep their kisses modest.

— Contact Tammie Toler at ttoler@ptonline.net.

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Chick-fil-A: Support is about more than 'chikin'

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