Chick-Fil-A Protest in Springfield, Mo.

First, I want to acknowledge the fact that many other threads have been written on the various aspects of this story. I'm not starting this thread to overlap or repeat the others that have gone before this one. I don't intend to focus on or do more than touch on the underlying purpose for this protest in terms of the Gay Marriage issue or larger LGBT community. My feelings on that in general are best left for another thread dealing more directly with it.

Now that I've covered what this isn't about, what does bring me to post this thread? Well, I went out to have dinner this evening and chose Chick-Fil-A as someone who feels they have every right as a business to express any opinion the ownership may deem appropriate for themselves. What I discovered was surprising. Springfield isn't a city with a real history of activism or political activity in public when compared to so many other places in our nation. We're generally a quiet community with a fairly strong lean to the right as well as a deeply held sense of values and morality.

Keeping this in mind as we drove over, I was surprised at what I found in my trip out for dinner. Let me share a few pictures I took for everyone to get a feel for the scene this evening.


(This was the scene to greet us in driving up. The truck is coming out of the parking lot after apparently having made a supply delivery. When we got closer we saw the neighbors weren't doing much business and it seems Chick-Fil-A was running low...our first sign that people here had come out)


(Those who weren't in this line for Chic-Fil-A made short work of turning around and leaving. Those you see are almost without exception, there for some chicken.)


(Here is a view from the opposite direction and about the same distance beyond driveways from that side as the first image shows from our direction of approach)

I'd note here that as close as the first image shows us to have started, it took nearly 90 minutes to travel that short distance. This drew more than I would have imagined. To the right in the above picture, you see a line of parked cars. This is an overflow area and people were walking from there to get to Chick-Fil-A. Below is a picture infront on those parked cars and showing how it came to parking in the grass and dirt for many who were determined to show their support here.



So what was all the waiting for? What did the place itself look like? Surely, chaos and obvious signs of protest, right? Well, no. Actually, the turn out in numbers took me by real surprise as did how orderly and openly friendly everyone was.


(Shameless framing here for 'Ol Glory highlighting a bunch of citizens exercising their peaceful right of assembly, for dinner, and for a cause! )


(I believe this shot best shows the overall scene for the line out front. by the time we left and as other photos may show, this came to extend a bit further to the driveway on the right but held about this length the entire time we were out there. More came as the line was serviced inside. The flow in was constant.)

Of course, what would a protest be without the media? Our local Kolr-10 crew were there to cover the scene as well!


(The Satellite truck was about 75 yards behind them. I'm not posting all the pics for space)


(In an interesting twist to this, they had their employees out taking orders from the cars directly and well in advance of the time anyone would get around. Upon asking, I learned they didn't have the vests for this sole event but used them in regular business for other things. They sure came in handy here though!)


(It may be a bit hard to make out. I've sized and adjusted the general quality so as to make personal identification of people as secondary a thing as it should be for such pictures, However, you can make out in this one a table they had out front for refreshments to those standing in line. How's that for being friendly? You can't see the table clear enough, but I assure everyone, they weren't packing a cash drawer out there for the cups being offered in this heat)

Finally, I'll close this post with the thought they keep near and dear at Chick-Fil-A, apparently. Eat More Chicken!

There is a post script of sorts to this story and it was so touching that my wife and I were both nearly brought to tears right there in the drive through. The downturn in the economy hasn't been kind to many and our home hasn't escaped the effects of this situation gripping the nation. It took us a bit of planning to come up with the $25 we took with us for dinner. First, let me start with a final picture for my contribution to the OP and in thank you to the Gentlemen who bought our dinner.



It's hard to make out more than the corner of it here, but this silver Minivan in front of our vehicle had a Gadsden Flag on the rear and next to their license plate. My wife had actually commented on how I could have taken a full picture of it but I chose not to because privacy issues of the license plate made the picture one I didn't figure I could use for a general interest shot. Now, I wish I'd taken her advice and blurred the plate.


When we arrived at the window to get our order, we were greeted by a very friendly and happy cashier. (on the rush that never ends..I was surprised and happy to see that mood at all. Impressive! ) What makes it noteworthy though is that he'd mentioned that the vehicle in front of us had handed them a $100 bill to pay for the meals of the vehicles behind them. I assumed he was simply telling us this so we may add to the "Pay it Forward" concept he told us had started going in the line. Well, I made a quick comment about how we felt bad but times were hard and we couldn't do more than pay our own meal this evening, but that was so touching to hear had been done.

Well. on just that casual comment, we found our money refused and refused for real. He wouldn't take it after hearing we'd had the least bit of trouble and with that same very warm and outgoing smile. The Cashier and the gentlemen with the Gadsden flag on his van turned a protest and story gathering trip into a learning experience as well. My son isn't the only one to have picked something up from the experience.

This was a protest, of sorts and a statement to be sure. It meant different things to different people as I overheard conversations all over during my wandering to photograph everything. However, through it all, I heard no voices raised in anger. I saw no tension and felt none. I did see and spoke to at least one member of the LGBT community who I believe was doing about the same as I was for whomever he had in mind. Again though, no harsh words or angry voices.

We can settle our differences without fighting and I think this trip out showed that as well as anything. On even this issue, and whatever else is happening elsewhere in the nation tonight, at least here it could be handled without ugliness of any form. How it should always be, in my humble opinion.

Thanks for taking a moment to look over my collection of photographs from my trip out to dinner.

(Anyone else is free to add their own personal 1st hand experiences wherever they may be. My thread title says Springfield because this is the area I call home and where I could report what I saw tonight. I welcome input to my thread in the same vain from other places in the nation.)

It looks like simply being loud and pushy over agendas doesn't always work.
Is this the new silent majority coming out that people think don't have a voice?
Maybe every polling place should have a Chick-Fil-A stand out front.

Nice documentation. It is very similar here. There was a local news story saying people were waiting 45+ minutes for food. This is how it should be done, if you support the company spend your money there. If you don't then don't, that simple. There is no need for a sit in or protest of a private company, they are just as entitled to their opinion and to donate money where they like (as long as it's not a congresspersons pockets).

Honestly this whole thing has had 2 effects. Making the people working for barely above minimum wage a lot more stressed and taking away from more important discussion.

But at least we now see we can organize to buy chicken en masse, now if only we could do the same for more important problems.

I just got back from there just now, and there food sucks. Bojangles and Popeye's supersede that place. Blah, had two bites and threw it away. Even my dog won't touch it and he eats everything.

My dad forced me to go..


It's a no wonder, I never ate there.

If multiple people come down with food poisoning, we know where it came from.



I have to say if this was a stupid christian community banning gays from eating there, talk about ignorance at best. Where do they think some of their patrons come from?

Stupid...

My dad lied and said it was a stance of the government not telling us what to do.

The whole issue with Chick-Fil-A is kind of ridiculous. Everyone has a right to believe what the want to believe, including corporations. Even if they decided not to serve gays or lesbians, that is their prerogative. If you don't like it, don't patronize the establishment. In the long run, Chick-Fil-A can cause their own downfall if they choose to make statements that may affect their business.

Personally, I think it's bad business practice that any corporation publicly announces their political views. Even though their statement against gay marriage will probably not hurt their business, I'm sure they probably lost some staunch supporters of gay rights. If they announced they were against equal rights for women, I'm sure it would heavily affect their business. Business is business, and at some point if a statement is going to affect losing customers, it's better to leave well enough alone.

In my case, if I'm hungry I don't care what your views are. If your establishment serves a good product I'll patronize it.

Wow, reminds me of the non-violent sit-ins at restaurants that refused to serve blacks back in the 50's.....wait

oh nevermind.

Nothing like a good protest

Even if I disagree.

Vote with your dollar though, it's the best way.

~Tenth

Thanks for sharing Wrabbit, well written as always. Loved the pictures.

I have waiting for this Chick fil a appreciation day, following it online...great blowback against those mayors who thoug they could ban it from their cities....NOT!

I wish I could have participated but the nearest one is 150 miles from us. Glad I could hear your story.

reply to post by WeRpeons


I completely agree with you, but how many gay employees do they have that might give a hoot (or peep) in the case for chicken?

Eat what you want to...that is what I say.

People should be more concerned about the crap they are putting in their bodies, rather than a companies stance on an issue. They won't be losing customers that matter over the issue.

If it was McDonalds who came out and said what this company did, do you think it would affect their billion burgers sold everyday?

Get real and worry about what's in your own head rather than other people.

Edit to add: the OP did a great job with the pics. However, the point is, the OP still went to the establishment to eat...........what does that tell ya?

reply to post by Manhater


Your Dad did not lie to you...numerous Democratic mayors thought they could ban Chick Fil A from their towns because they don't believe in gay marriage....really? The government needs to remember the 1st Amendment...it's the first one for goodness sake!

Good documentation. I had no idea such 'protests' were even occurring.

Possibly relevant: Chic-fil-A would be unaffordable without subsidies to corn and soy producers. I think there's a chance this makes it Socialist Chicken.

This was a great story Wrabbit! It wasn't a story it was a real life experience and I have been reading many real life experiences from those who went to CFA Appreciation Day!!! Mike Huckabee started this with a facebook page in the same way the Middle East Uprisings started with twitter. It's amazing what Social media can do today!

Here's a little except about what happened at my Chick-Fil-A. I couldn't make it there today as I had a job interview through lunch...

About 60 people stood in line at the Monmouth Mall eatery at 2 p.m., but that paled in comparison to earlier crowds, said the Rev. Daniel Hesko of the Church of St. Catherine Laboure in Middletown. “When we walked in, we were stunned,” he said. He waited for an hour before making it to the counter. He said that as a Catholic priest, he came in part because of his support of traditional marriage. He called the response against the company “un-American.” Jeff Bassett, the owner of the franchise, said his workers completed 303 transactions by about 2 p.m. Ordinarily, they would have filled about 100, he said.

That means that our Chick-Fil-A which is inside the mall increased their sales by 200%!

www.dailyrecord.com...[ed itby]edit on 1-8-2012 by jjf3rd77 because: (no reason given)