# Bad news for Chick-fil-A haters **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 29, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858 "2014-03-29T20:27:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/41 "2014-03-29T23:53:54Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I wonder if being closed on Sunday actually helps their bottom line? True, they’re losing sales that might occur in locations near shopping malls, but Sunday is also a big day for BBQs and Sunday brunch (in particular among the after church crowd) I can’t imagine Sunday evening is a big time for fast food places. By having only 6 days to spread employees out, that can probably help them reduce overtime as well. I would tend to agree. With fewer than half the stores and less open hours they still pull in more revenue. All else being equal, that means that they are probably more profitable than KFC America. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/42 "2014-03-30T00:03:05Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > Eh. When you choose to give your business a goofy, typographically odd name, I think you have to accept whatever pronunciation your customers decide to use on any given day. I bet those two pronunciations are about equally common, particularly for people who haven’t heard the name before. It never even occurred to me to be anything but a fanciful representation of “chick fillet.” ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/43 "2014-03-30T00:05:29Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > I would tend to agree. With fewer than half the stores and less open hours they still pull in more revenue. All else being equal, that means that they are probably more profitable than KFC America. What does any of that have to do with profit? I would guess that CFA uses higher quality and therefore more expensive ingredients than KFC. They might pay their staff more too. It’s all about margin. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/44 "2014-03-30T00:24:37Z")
I guess “haters” will have to content themselves with the knowledge that marriage equality and tolerance of same-sex couples is spreading rapidly. I think 15 or 16 states have either started allowing same-sex marriage or had anti-SSM amendments overturned in the time since the Chick-fil-A controversy, and the Defense of Marriage Act was overturned. Other than that, yes, advantage chicken place. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/45 "2014-03-30T00:28:38Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > What does any of that have to do with profit? I would guess that CFA uses higher quality and therefore more expensive ingredients than KFC. They might pay their staff more too. It’s all about margin. Man hours and rent/property has to do with your margin as I’m sure you know, for pete’s sake. I said “all else being equal” right in what you quoted, but yes it’s possible C-f-A pays way more for everything. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/46 "2014-03-30T01:45:16Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Ok, sounds a buck or two more expensive, but not enough that I would go for a cheaper option if I clearly preferred it. I also don’t recall Wendy’s being more expensive than McD’s or BK’s to notice. No matter, as I don’t like Wendy’s and prefer M D’s. > > For me, when it comes to chains, Five Guys and Fatburger are expensive, relatively speaking. Wendy’s far more expensive than BK or McDonald’s.It always has been. For what you’d pay for a fair sit-down meal you’ll get two large-sized combos from Wendy’s. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/47 "2014-03-30T02:20:36Z")
Actually, Flyer, I would say both Chick-fil-A and KY Fry serve stuff that is not fit for human consumption. I don’t eat at either place. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/48 "2014-03-30T02:52:15Z")
To me, at least around here, the same people who eat at CFA are the people who are voting for all these Republicans in congress, and those voters are winning so it makes sense that their food place of choice is winning too. Plus they all have 2-5 kids so that makes for more customers than voters. Our CFA has a nice indoor playground and it also has a reputation for being the local playground for mean homeschooled kids. I’m not saying all homeschooled kids are mean but the ones that frequent this restaurant are. All of my friends with toddlers say their toddlers are terrified of going on the play equipment during the day. ---
**Author:** ![wedgehed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@wedgehed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wedgehed)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/49 "2014-03-30T02:54:06Z")
> [@](#): > > But their ice cream is OUTSTANDING. I love their vanilla shakes! ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/50 "2014-03-30T03:21:51Z")
Eating KFC is paying for the privilege of having your life shortened every time you go there. It’s ridiculously unhealthy. Chick-Fil-A is marginally better for you, but I can still replicate one of their sandwiches at home in about the same amount of time as it would take to stand in line for one, and it’s cheaper and healthier. I get why people do fast food, but I really wish more people would realize that making your own isn’t actually all that hard, and drive the whole lot of them out of business. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/51 "2014-03-30T04:13:17Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > To me, at least around here, the same people who eat at CFA are the people who are voting for all these Republicans in congress, and those voters are winning so it makes sense that their food place of choice is winning too. Plus they all have 2-5 kids so that makes for more customers than voters. > > Our CFA has a nice indoor playground and it also has a reputation for being the local playground for mean homeschooled kids. I’m not saying all homeschooled kids are mean but the ones that frequent this restaurant are. All of my friends with toddlers say their toddlers are terrified of going on the play equipment during the day. So the business lesson here is be Republican friendly and help raise evil children. I’m off to make some money! ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/52 "2014-03-30T05:26:09Z")
Not boycotting or patronizing either but spinning this as shrugging off a boycott seems like weak sauce, be it sweet or sour. The impact of a boycott is measured by how it impacts the trajectory a company was on. Chick-Fil-A had increased sales by 12% in 2008, 8.6% in 2009, 11% in 2010, 13% in 2011, 14% in 2012 … note a trend they were on here? If they had continued their trajectory they’d have increased by 15% or greater in 2013. Instead they actually decreased their growth rate for the first time in 5 years, growing instead by a lesser 9.3%, lower than they’ve done in four years and the second lowest in the last six. If this was a publically traded firm that would be what gets called _a miss_ and would likely be met with a sell-off. KFC has been a stagnant franchise in retreat with decreasing sales for years. That long term trajectory has nothing to do with a boycott on a competitor; it has do with their failure as a brand all on their own. So yes, independently KFC is a failing brand, losing revenue every year, and CFA has slowed growth correlated with press about its owners’ anti gay bigotry. The press has helped galvanize those who never patronize either store and those who do into a realization that anti-gay bigotry is now a minority perspective in this country. I am not a hater but I do see that as a success for those who care about gay rights. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/53 "2014-03-30T06:15:59Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > I am not a hater but I do see that as a success for those who care about gay rights. Your “analysis” was so hilariously slanted yet I find this end bit particularly funny. “you see I don’t hate anyone but this fiscal year’s 2% miss on expected sales GROWTH shows gay rights are coming around” ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/54 "2014-03-30T06:47:42Z")
I’ve invested in enough publically traded companies to know that a decrease in growth rate usually equals a drop in the stock’s price; is usually read as bad news. This company’s consistent rapid growth rate was blunted this last year. If you think that is a slanted analysis that’s fine. Yup, I see the fact that a company primarily located in Red states and a few in conservative areas of Purple and Blue ones, has its growth rate impacted negatively by having its anti-gay bigotry being in the public eye, as good news. Not because I care about punishing the Cathays - let’s face it they are not going to be hurting. [They get](http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2007/0723/080.html) 15% of the total sales from each store and 50% of remaining pretax profits; decreased growth is still _a killing_ for them. (“Franchisees” may make less than other ones do, but they are not at issue here, and they are still doing fine enough.) And they are not a publicly traded stock so a drop in value from a revenue miss don’t matter to the Cathays none. But it does demonstrate where the needle has moved on gay rights, which is what I see as good news for those of us who care aboout gay rights. BTW, why [Yum!](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-26/mcdonald-s-no-match-for-kfc-in-china-where-colonel-sanders-rules-fast-food.html) (KFC’s parent) may be not bothering to do much about its US market decline: > [@](#): > > In the third quarter, Yum’s China profits soared 23 percent compared with a 2 percent decline in the U.S. … In a country that Western companies ranging from Dunkin’ Brands Inc. to EBay Inc. have struggled to penetrate, Yum has been opening one new restaurant every 18 hours. It now has a 40 percent market share among fast-food chains compared with 16 percent for McDonald’s, according to Euromonitor International, a London-based market research firm. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/55 "2014-03-30T12:26:49Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > Wendy’s far more expensive than BK or McDonald’s.It always has been. For what you’d pay for a fair sit-down meal you’ll get two large-sized combos from Wendy’s. I’ll have a look next time I’m by. I remember them having dollar menus, just like BK and McD’s, and their combos only being about a buck or two more expensive, not enough to go jump from the McD/BK level of pricing to 5 Guys/Fatburger pricing in my head. But maybe things have changed. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/56 "2014-03-30T13:07:29Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’ll have a look next time I’m by. I remember them having dollar menus, just like BK and McD’s, and their combos only being about a buck or two more expensive, not enough to go jump from the McD/BK level of pricing to 5 Guys/Fatburger pricing in my head. But maybe things have changed. The best I could find online is [here](http://foodservices.appstate.edu/about/price-comparisons-local-restaurants) and confirms my impressions. Wendy’s is competitive to McDonald’s and Burger King, if not cheaper in some cases. For example a 1/4 pounder, in this location is $3.35 at BK, $3.79 at McDonald’s, and $3.29 at Wendy’s. Large fries are $2 at BK, and $1.79 at both McD’s and Wendy’s. Chicken filet sandwich is more expensive at Wendy’s, at $3.99 vs $3.89 for McD’s and $3.39 for BK. There’s no mention of combo meals, so I don’t know, but that is in-line with my perceptions. Note the 5 Guys pricing on the 1/4 pounder, which is in what I consider another tier, at $5.59. Perhaps it’s different where you’re at, but I’ve never experienced Wendy’s being “far more expensive” than McD’s and BK. They’re the same tier to me. Hell, the average nationwide price of a BigMac is [$4.62](http://www.economist.com/content/big-mac-index), believe it or not. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/57 "2014-03-30T16:41:21Z")
To me, Chik-fil-A doesn’t really count when I think of “fried chicken.” I should add that I don’t think I saw or ate at one until my late teens, and fried chicken sandwiches were not a novelty at all growing up. Even though there were no chains like that in my area until the 90s, there were probably a dozen or so local fried chicken restaurants, regular family restaurants, and other chains that offered “fried chicken sandwiches.” Plus, almost everyone I know can take a chicken breast and fry it, which is much easier than making fried chicken from regular pieces. Even as chains go, I didn’t see much jump in quality from Arbys, Roy Rogers, Wendys, Hardees, for similar items. The only thing Chik-fil-A had going for it for awhile was being the only fast food place I ever saw in mall food courts. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/58 "2014-03-30T17:09:01Z")
I know that you are talking about as a consumer but in a business sense there is more to the story. They also have [a business model that works](http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2007/0723/080.html) (same link as above) and the shared team vision of something more than profit and company good is part of that secret sauce. In their case it is a particular set of religious values that helps provide it, it could be another common greater good cause, but that belief of team members (“franchisees” and more straight up salaried employees) of being part of a greater good while still also getting a piece of the (chicken pot) pie (“franchisees” only) serves them well. They select a devoted set of people with shared values to be operators, make the bar to becoming one and owning part of the dream a fairly low one financially and then get an ongoing high return instead of more upfront with the (basically glorified) managers paid (well for a fast food manager on average but not much more than say at [Chipotle](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/01/chipotle-salary_n_2601611.html) and less than most real franchise owners bring in with much less in sales\*) exclusively on a productivity basis and only after the Cathays get theirs first. The model works well, no denying that. \*same link: > [@](#): > > Operators, who are discouraged from running more than a few restaurants, take home $100,000 a year on average from a single outlet. A solo Bojangles’ franchisee can expect to earn $330,000 (Ebitda) on sales of $1.7 million. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/59 "2014-03-30T17:39:48Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Not boycotting or patronizing either but spinning this as shrugging off a boycott seems like weak sauce, be it sweet or sour. > > The impact of a boycott is measured by how it impacts the trajectory a company was on. > > Chick-Fil-A had increased sales by 12% in 2008, 8.6% in 2009, 11% in 2010, 13% in 2011, 14% in 2012 … note a trend they were on here? If they had continued their trajectory they’d have increased by 15% or greater in 2013. Instead they actually decreased their growth rate for the first time in 5 years, growing instead by a lesser 9.3%, lower than they’ve done in four years and the second lowest in the last six. > > If this was a publically traded firm that would be what gets called _a miss_ and would likely be met with a sell-off. > > KFC has been a stagnant franchise in retreat with decreasing sales for years. That long term trajectory has nothing to do with a boycott on a competitor; it has do with their failure as a brand all on their own. > > So yes, independently KFC is a failing brand, losing revenue every year, and CFA has slowed growth correlated with press about its owners’ anti gay bigotry. The press has helped galvanize those who never patronize either store and those who do into a realization that anti-gay bigotry is now a minority perspective in this country. > > I am not a hater but I do see that as a success for those who care about gay rights. This entire ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858/60 "2014-03-30T18:01:42Z")
Whoever’s posting this is a master of suspense! Anyway, I don’t get the OP’s motivation for bringing this up. Happy Gloaty Dance? Yeah, yeah, yeah, homophobes prosper… meantime, gay marriage is gradually becoming legal in more U.S. states; I predict a majority by 2025. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-chick-fil-a-haters/684858.md?page=4)