By Gio Arteaga
Let me get one thing straight: Chick-fil-A has personally been my saving grace throughout my duration of high school. Do I believe in the restaurant’s morals? No. Do I think the chicken sandwiches are the bomb? Yes; do I think the waffle fries are the best thing that man has ever created? Also yes. Why am I even saying all of this to begin with? Let me explain:
First things first, Chick-fil-A’s chicken is practically a culinary pinnacle. If you’ve never tasted their original chicken sandwich, (imagery is going to be needed) imagine a perfectly seasoned chicken breast that was fried to absolute perfection had a fluffy bun paired with it that had a delicious balance. That’s right, their chicken is so good it could single-handedly convince you to convert from that “ketovegetarian diet” lifestyle.
And don’t even get started on those waffle fries. Once during Thanksgiving break sophomore year, I assembled a Chick-fil-A board that consisted of Chick-fil-A waffle fries and mashed potatoes. Guess which portion of the board was eaten? (Hint it wasn’t the mashed potatoes)
They’re like regular fries went to the prom and came back just with a revamp. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and seasoned just right, not too much salt, and not too little salt. o the point it’s just potatoes. Honestly, if waffle fries were sold in bulk, they would be out of stock right now.
However, The controversy surrounding Chick-fil-A’s support for conversion therapy goes back furthest to the early 2010s. The restaurant chain faced backlash for its financial support of organizations like the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Salvation Army, both of which have been linked to promoting or endorsing conversion therapy practices that hurt individuals.
In response to the massive amount of backlash, Chick-fil-A stated that it would focus its charitable efforts on supporting education, homelessness, and hunger alleviation. The company pledged to end donations to controversial organizations and refocus its giving on less divisive community programs. However, by this point the damage had been done and the company, despite these efforts, is still connected to conversion therapy that continues to cast a shadow over the company’s reputation for some consumers.