Comments on: Hollywood Chick-Fil-A 24 hours later

By: gregory brown

gregory brown — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 15:40:00 +0000

I’d like o know how many of the chain’s Fair Weather Friends (who’d likely never been near the place before, preferring faster and cheaper food) stopped at a Starbuck’s along the way to order some overpriced brew to pour on the road.

By: Richard Rush

Richard Rush — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 15:25:17 +0000

Sambo’s! Dante, I just noticed your comment and did a “double take.”

I was once employed by Sambo’s – not in a restaurant, but in a corporate support function at three different regional offices over a period of several years in the 1970s.

I don’t think the racist perception of the company’s name was the main reason they went under. But it certainly was an issue in some locations. I think they went under because of some poor business management decisions. They had expanded the number of restaurants across the US very rabidly in the 1970s, got overextended financially, plus they lost some control of restaurant quality. And there was dissatisfaction among the restaurant managers with changes in their compensation program.

One of the interesting things was that just as conditions started to deteriorate, they had architects design a magnificent new headquarters edifice. I remember seeing the detailed architectural model. Needless to say, it never got built.

Sadly, I never worked at corporate headquarters in magnificently beautiful Santa Barbara, CA, but fortunately I was able to visit a few times a year. Of all the jobs I’ve had before becoming self-employed, Sambo’s was my favorite, by far.

By: Timothy (TRiG)

Timothy (TRiG) — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 15:22:30 +0000

Quite, Richard, I honestly don’t see what this has to do with “free speech” one way or another.

TRiG.

By: Richard Rush

Richard Rush — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 12:45:30 +0000

If you believe that more than one or two people in the U.S. went to Chick-fil-A just to stand up for free speech, then I have a bridge in Brooklyn . . .

By: Désirée

Désirée — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 08:30:31 +0000

Karen:
what Stefan said… plus, “free speech” doesn’t mean being free from the consequences of that speech or criticism of that speech. A person is free to say gays are going to hell or the blacks are subhuman or jews are all tightwads and I am free to say that such a person is a moron for saying so and I am free to not patronize said person’s company without it affecting that person’s free speech rights one iota.

By: Stefan

Stefan — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 06:00:59 +0000

Karen,

They don’t just say they oppose same sex marriage, they donate money to bonefied hate groups that promote the murder of gays/lesbians.

By: Karen

Karen — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 04:58:21 +0000

I see this issue more about free speech than gay marriage. I buy Ben and Jerry’s ice cream but completely disagree w/ their political/social stances. This country allows them to say and believe whatever they want. Why can’t Chick Fil A do the same?

By: Dante

Dante — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 04:47:47 +0000

A good example of what is downstream for Chick-fil-a is the history of the Sambo’s restaurant chain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambo%27s

By: TampaZeke

TampaZeke — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 03:59:35 +0000

And the day it starts cutting into their bottom line Dan Cathy will mysteriously disappear from the spotlight and the company will quietly change their tune, the world will shrug and order another chicken sandwich and Chick-fil-A will continue unscathed like Cracker Barrel.

You can bet your ass that Chick-fil-A won’t close up shop to protect their strongly held “Christian Values”TM They’re “Christian Values” will quietly change to reflect the new social realities and they will act as if they ALWAYS supported full equality for gay people.

And thousands of people who proudly and arrogantly paraded down to Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day will deny that they were ever there!

Having grown up in Mississippi during the end of desegregation I’ve seen this scenario played out, almost to the letter, before so I already know how it ends!

*******Spoiler alert*******

WE WIN!

By: MattNYC

MattNYC — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 01:01:19 +0000

Andy Borowitz lent his wit to this:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2012/08/chick-fil-a-introduces-new-hate-sauce.html