NEW YORK — The Denver City Council is taking its time deciding whether Chick-fil-A, whose CEO is opposed to gay marriage, should be allowed to open a restaurant in the Denver airport.
The City Council has voted to take two weeks “to look at the policies involved” before voting on whether Chick-fil-A would be approved to fry chicken bits in the Denver International Airport.
The City Council, which made its ruling last week, told CNNMoney on Monday that Denver “has been at the forefront of honoring gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees and their families with non-discrimination clauses and partner benefits.”
The fast food chain’s opposition to gay marriage is what gave the city council “pause.”
“When Denver International Airport proposed a concession with a company that had a history of funding opposition to this recognition, it was important that we as a City Council take a pause to ensure that all the policies are in place with all of the entities involved to ensure there will be no discrimination, and that benefits will be provided equally to all employees and their spouses, regardless of their sexual orientation,” said the City Council.
When asked about the issue, a spokeswoman for Chick-fil-A said the company is “focused on serving great food and providing remarkable service to every single customer.”
“Chick-fil-A, Inc. and its franchised restaurant owners are equal opportunity employers, with more than 75,000 individuals who represent many diverse viewpoints, opinions, backgrounds and beliefs,” she said, in an email to CNNMoney.
But Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy tweeted a statement that seemed to suggest otherwise in 2013, after the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples were entitled to federal benefits.
“Sad day for our nation; founding fathers would be ashamed of our gen. to abandon wisdom of the ages re: cornerstone of strong societies,” said Cathy, in a tweet that was later deleted.
His comment inspired protests, both for and against Chick-fil-A.
Two years later, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage nationwide. Cathy didn’t say anything about it.
Chick-fil-A is the highest ranking fast food restaurant for customer satisfaction, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index Restaurant Report 2015.
The Atlanta-based company is getting ready to open its first free-standing restaurant in New York City on Oct. 3. At 5,000 square feet, it will be the largest Chick-fil-A restaurant in the country.
