Even Huckabee Can't Eat Enough to Keep 'em Going

[lame54]

http://blog.buzzflash.com/node/13640

New data indicates Chick-fil-A's image with consumers has dropped dramatically since the company's president proudly embraced the organization's anti-LGBT donations. The new numbers come as former Governor Mike Huckabee and the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) attempt to make today a national "Eat at Chick-fil-A" day.

According to YouGov's BrandIndex, Chick-fil-A's brand perception among consumers has dropped by more than 20 points since Dan Cathy replied "guilty as charged" when asked about Chick-fil-A's donations to groups that work to demonize and harm LGBT people. The drop is noticeable across the country - even in the South, a stronghold for the fast food chain...

[louis-t]

1. Now you know why repugs want their donors kept secret.

'brand perception' is everything to these people.

[patrice]

2. I'm seeing this event promoted on FB as a "Let's go to CfA, have lunch and have fellowship

with customers on our issues."

[Fawke Em]

4. Yeah... 'coz I would just LOVE to have some teabagger "witness" to

me over my fat-laden lunch.

[yellerpup]

3. Happily, this was inevitable.

Everyone loves someone who is gay. Whatever pain the restaurant suffers, they brought upon themselves.

[TlalocW]

5. What's a brand perception

And how does it relate to changes in the amount of people eating there?

TlalocW

[DLine]

6. Hard to tell from driving by CFA today...

Drive thru line was backed up around the building and back on to the street. The line for the counter was also hanging out the door.

[Raster]

11. But of course. This hatefest with chicken has been hyped unmercilessly on every...

winger and bagger forum possible.

This isn't designed to appeal to reason or logic, THE MOTIVATION IS PURE HATE. And as we all know - unfortunately so - the hate is strong in this country.

ON EDIT: Oh, and by the way, Welcome to DU! Enjoy your stay.

[Chuuku Davis]

7. Drove by CFA a few minutes ago

There is a line of cars 3/4 mile long to get in the drivethru.
People are circled completely around the building waiting to get in to eat.
There were 12-15 protestors out front.

[99Forever]

9. Really?

How's 'bout you drive by there again and take a picture and post it?

[SDjack]

17. Maybe most of those in line were "filet blockers", with no intention of buying. nt

[99Forever]

22. Or maybe...

.. it is pure BS spin by a homophobic troll. One just never knows.

[SDjack]

28. Jacksonville TV (cbs aff) news reporting on it now. The restaurants are jammed with customers.

It looks real. At first, I thought it was either BS or a joke. Not so. Wonder if it is a flash mob kinda thing or if those people are committing to get their sandwiches where they get their hate.

[99Forever]

29. It appears that you ...

.. are correct. Baby Jeebus must be so proud of his flock.


Yeeeeee haaaaa! Go hate go.

[Missycim]

31. Why is your first reaction

to call him a troll? You know he could've been telling the truth

[abolugi]

35. This is from Sacramento, CA

http://www.kcra.com/news/-Chick-fil-A-Appreciation-Day-draws-large-crowds-across-NorCal/-/11797728/15929294/-/in5f71z/-/index.html

A lot of hate on display today...

[99Forever]

36. Yes my friend..

... there sure was, much at the direction of "men of god."

I thank them for reminding me of another good reason to be an atheist.

[girl gone mad]

15. My local Chic-Fil-A was a ghost town.

You must live in a religiously conservative area.

[Raster]

20. Welcome to DU!

Enjoy your stay.

[Chuuku Davis]

32. Uh why?

I just posted what I saw.

Just got home and it is showing the same on the local news here.

[LanternWaste]

23. one day of profits will usually lose to a brand name that promotes bigotry...

A dramatic peak before it quickly peters out. in the long run, one day of profits will usually lose to a brand name that promotes bigotry...

[JBoy]

25. LOL. OK, let's look at that.

A little math:

A lineup 3/4 mile long, assuming 15 ft car length, with 3 feet between cars would represent

(3/4 miles * 5280 ft/mile) / (15 + 3 ft) = 220 vehicles.

Assuming 2 minute per vehicle service rate (and good luck with that!), it would take 2*220/60 = 7 hrs, 20 minutes to get served.

Further, each idling car is going to burn about 1/2 gal of gas per hour (even more if the a/c is on). So over the 7hrs, 20 minutes, they'll burn

0.5 gal/h * 7.33 h = 3.7 gallons. At a cost of $3.50 per gallon, that comes to 3.7 gal * $3.50/gal = $12.95.

That $5.25 Chik fil A sandwich would be costing them 5.25 + 12.95 = $18.20.

So I think the lineup might be something shorter, perhaps?

[JI7]

34. This was true of some new Chick Fila places that opened up in California

but this was before the anti gay comments from that guy. and new places often get huge lines like this.

the same happened some years back when krispy kreme opened up. and it seems to always happen with in and out. in and out seems to constantly have long lines though.

[mmonk]

37. So it was Christmas for bigots. The human race will have their's soon.

[RedStateLiberal]

8. Seen several posts on FB today

of people posting photos of crowded Chick-fil-A parking lots and police having to direct traffic because of so many people going there in support of hate.

Of course, I'm in Alabama where people use their religion as an excuse to hate all the time. If anything this controversy is helping them profit even more here in the south.

I so want to comment: "Thank you for your order. Would you like a side of hate with that?"

[GoCubsGo]

10. Was it at lunch time?

The Biggoty Chicken in my town is always crowded at lunch time. It's even worse on Wednesdays, because Wednesdays are "Senior Discount Day" at all the local grocery stores, including the one across the parking lot from it.

[RedStateLiberal]

12. That's when one was posted, yes.

But I'm pretty sure it's more than just a lunch rush.

Here's the photo a FB 'friend' posted of CFA in Pratville, AL



Cars lined up into the highway. Crowds of people around the building.

Hate sells I guess...

[kctim]

13. YouGov is waaaaay off

Lines have been crazy for the past freakin week. I couldn't even turn into the parking lot today.

[girl gone mad]

16. All the bigots will line up for a short time,

but long term the brand is fucked.

[Raster]

18. Hear! Hear!

The progression towards a logical, fair society for all will continue. Religious bigots will hiss and spit, but eventually, THEY WILL DIE OUT.

Seriously: A hot, heapin' helpin' of HATE with a side of chicken??? What would Jesus eat? Who would Jesus hate?

[RZM]

21. I don't think they are fucked, but this probably won't help them

AFAIK they are doing well enough and can absorb a small drop in sales.

But I do agree that this rush won't last. Some people will run out and patronize them now, but as the story dies down they will resume their normal eating habits.

[kctim]

24. It won't be over this issue

Most people believe people have the right to hold their own beliefs.
Most people don't believe being for traditional marriage is equal to hate and makes one a bigot.
Most people don't care one way or another if gay-marriage is here or not. It's not something that is important to them or their lives.
Most people don't allow politics to dictate their lives.

This will all blow over, it will be forgotten and it will be business as usual.

[closeupready]

14. Had a McChicken Sandwich for lunch - yum!

K&R

[LynneSin]

19. I say let the homophobes gorge away at Chik-Fil-La

Just gonna clog up their arteries

[ThoughtCriminal]

26. So it IS a conspiracy

to get religious-right fundamentalists to eat so much crap that they need the ACA.

[dballance]

27. They need to get Christie in there eating

It's obvious Christie can likely support one or two Chick-fil-a restaurants all by himself.

[prole_for_peace]

30. My aunt left a voice message saying she needed me to go to CFA

and pick up a gift card TODAY!!! And to get my self something while I am there.

She is going to be soooo disappointed when I do not do this.

I don't know why she would ask me anyway. She knows I am a screaming liberal and she once refused to ride in my car because I had a "I'm Pro Choice and I vote" sticker on it.

[JI7]

33. i wonder if most of their customers tended to lean liberal

this would be true especially if most of them were located in places like malls and other places where young people hang out and get food.

[RZM]

38. Quite the opposite. Their clientele skews heavily Republican

Here's a very interesting graph plotting restaurant customers according to party affiliation and voter turnout. You'll see they have one of the most Republican-leaning clienteles on the list:

[JI7]

39. this seems more based on where these places are located

my experience with chick fila is mostly in malls in the food court. but i know they are more widespread in conservative areas. although in california recently they opened up a bunch of new locations just in the last few months .

what this chart also shows is that Dems who are more likely to vote(more likely to vote often means a wealthier also) seem to avoid these places all together. this makes sense since you can see many high income liberal areas that keep some of these chains out and promote indie small businesses.

starbucks is a place that one might have thought dems tended to go to more. but i think they just have more locations with lack of other options. liberal high income areas probably have starbucks and many other cafe/coffee shop places they can also go to.