Posted on 04/08/2014 6:13:42 AM PDT by GIdget2004
Chick-fil-A is finally crossing the road.
The iconic chicken chain, as well-known for its conservative heritage as its savory eats, is recalibrating its moral and culinary compass. It wants to go from old school to almost cool. It wants to evolve from a place where gays once picketed to a place where they'll feel comfortable going to eat. It wants to broaden the brand as it expands nationally and plows into the Millennial-driven urban arena. Above all: it wants to be a serious player on fast-food's biggest stage.
USA TODAY was exclusively invited inside to visit the company's sprawling, wooded campus, get the first look at its new test kitchen, tour its store-of-the-future development facility and interview Chick-fil-A's controversial CEO Dan Cathy. Cathy, whose comments condemning gay marriage in 2012 set off store picketing and a social media firestorm, has now fully backed away from such public pronouncements that mix personal opinion on social issues with corporate policy.
"All of us become more wise as time goes by," he says, apologetically, in a rare, one-hour sit-down interview. "We sincerely care about all people."
(snip)
Chick-fil-A's socially conservative agenda, which formally led the company to donate millions to charitable groups opposed to gay marriage, has been tempered. This, just as the company aims to quickly expand into Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Southern hospitality must give way to urban reality as the 1,800 store chain moves to compete with big city success stories like McDonald's, Panera Bread and Chipotle.
If nothing else, Cathy has listened. In 2012, Cathy not only heard from some unhappy consumers about his comments against gay marriage, but also from some store operators and employees. Now, he says, "I'm going to leave it to politicians and others to discuss social issues."
(Excerpt) Read more at kens5.com ...
They’re trying really, really hard to make the boycott appear to have been successful, rather than a massive fail that actually increased business at CFA to the point that they surpassed KFC and are expanding in all markets.
If that means reading complete fabrications into corporate PR efforts to avoid reigniting a controversy over remarks made by Dan Cathy as a private individual, then they’re clearly going to do it.
I’ll believe they “caved” the day they start opening on Sunday.
he says, apologetically, in a rare, one-hour sit-down interview. That part is the journalist's opinion.
What he is reported to have said is not an apology, and it is in line with what he has been saying all along.
I agree, I view this as “selective reporting” I really don’t think CFA is going to deviate from a formula that has been incredibly successful.
Cathy is not going to back away from his beliefs, this is wishful thinking by folks who don’t agree with him.
Exactly! Why do anything to appease anyone if the current system/program is doing well? (Outside of changing/updating menus/delivery methods, etc.)
So, more managers and customers complained about their store not being *friendly for all*, than people who showed up on Chic Fil A day? This IS puzzling.
Some journalist claims that he sounded apologetic, and the illiterate among us turn on him. This journalist obviously knows the craft.
"HE QUOTES THE LYING JOURNALISTS SPIN"
When he says he cares for all people, he is saying clearly, 'if Adam and Steve want to get a bite of Chik Fil-A after they comitted sin, then we welcome them with open arms, and we will even make sure their seat is extra clean for their tired bums.' that to me is a sell-out and a cave.
Well, have fun with that. Out here in planet Earth, we care about the sinner but hate the sin, and we don't decide who gets to eat and who doesn't.
Exactly, “Selective reporting” nothing more. This isn’t any change of anything, just the portrayal that it is by folks who don’t agree with him.
He’s not going to change his beliefs.
> what Church?
The Church as a whole. The church universal. The catholic (lower-case “c”) church.
To be more specific, those who believe the Nicene creed and take the Bible as the immutable Word of God, regardless of the name over the door of the building where they meet with other believers.
This was his first mistake.
He obviously never heard of the old adage, "Quit while you're ahead."
Leni
Dittoes again.
Mega-Dittoes on your tagline.
Precisely.
You could do that with anything.
"Sadly, and with a horrific remorse, Jeffery Dahmer gently eased the knife into the neck of the uncooperative, disgusting man he thought to be a friend. "Please God, I know this is Your will, but please help me do this." It was obvious to anyone that the world would be a better place, without the presence of the man that Jeffery -- wrongly -- had once called a friend. The friend's betrayal was so complete, so heinous, that no one could be condemned for exacting justice."
Exactly, this article is SPIN.. or “selective reporting” Propganda, nothing more.
Because the reporting interjected a few editorial words, that Cathy was apologetic, before quoting him saying what his has always said, ignorant and gullible folks think he’s changed his tune.
Be smarter people, read what is inside the quotes, that is at most you can truly attribute to him, at best, anything else is not his word but spin placed around it to influence the context with which you interpret it, nothing more... He’s saying the same thing he’s always said, he’s not changed his beliefs one iota.
This entire article is a lesson in propaganda... Folks really do need to become more media savvy.
I didn’t hear him back track on anything that he had expressed. But to still be friendly towards them and do business is commonsense. I have a sister who is lesbian and she knows full well that I don’t like her perversion, but I am still nice and open to her.
Though I also regard it as a statement. Chik-Fil-A won their war. Now it seems they’re ready to capitulate?
They’ll sure lose my business if they do.
The owner wants to change his business model to grow to be a major fast-food player, The Media are playing it as a change-of-heart.
They so deperately want to turn this major failure for the Geystapo into a win
The government should be so wise.
I would wait to hear from Chick-fil-A before taking this story as the complete truth.
Some reporters delight in asking the “Have you stopped beating your mistress?” type of questions, then writing, “In a exclusive interview, Republican Senator denies beating his mistress!”.
The faithful, monogamous, heterosexual senator sits bewildered, wondering why there are all those alphabet news vans from the MSN parked outside his house.
I know the pastor of a small rural church who received a call one day from Agence France-Presse, the French news agency, asking why he was trying to overthrow seven African countries.
“Who is this, really? Is this a hoax?”
After AP, UPI and several US news organizations called, the pastor tried to get advice from local law enforcement.
Local Sheriff: “Nope, not our job. Call the FBI.”
FBI: “Nope, not our job. Call the State Dept.”
State Dept (by now it is 5 pm, Friday): “You have reached the State Dept. Our normal working hours are 9-5, M-F. Please call back during normal working hours.”
The calls from reporters continued all weekend.
Eventually, the pastor learned that someone had written a letter accusing missionaries of being part of a $100 million KKK plot to overthrow 7 African countries. The hoaxer had obtained a sheet of the rural church’s letterhead stationery, written his hoax letter on that and mailed it the the Kenya CID (secret police). The three accused missionary families were deported within 24 hours. Nine other missionaries and their children were ordered to leave the country within a week, but eventually cooler heads in the Kenya CID and the US & Canadian embassies prevailed on the Kenya authorities to rescind that order.
so.... hate the sin = turning a blind eye to it? Ok now, see how that is basically what I said about caving in or selling out? This is the problem I see with many churches now where the pastor is too timid to discuss sin as he doesn’t want to offend anyone. This is the problem with the church and society as a whole. Who would have expected the church of all places to become so politically correct years ago?
I wonder how many who have commented actually read the whole thing?
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