On Sunday, Chick-fil-A further cemented itself as America’s most beloved fast food franchise. In response to the nightmarish Atlanta airport blackout, the massively successful franchise broke its own rule about keeping the doors closed on Sundays and fed the masses.
Sunday night, the City of Atlanta notified the thousands of passengers whose flights were canceled amid a chaotic blackout at the airport that Chick-fil-A would be providing food for those taking the shuttle service to the Georgia International Convention Center to stay overnight.
“The City of Atlanta has mobilized the Georgia International Convention Center and will provide shuttle services for anyone who needs a place to stay for the night. @ChickfilA will provide food for passengers,” the City of Atlanta announced via Twitter.
The blackout, which lasted all afternoon and well into the night, was caused by an underground fire. It resulted in hundreds of flights being canceled, with some passengers reporting being stuck on planes on the tarmac for hours.
Responses online to the announcement that stranded passengers would be getting Chick-fil-A on Sunday were predictably entertaining. A few examples:
Chick-fil-A franchises nationwide usually remain closed on Sunday on account of the Christian faith of the company’s founder, Truett Cathy. It was those same religious beliefs that resulted in Chick-fil-A being targeted by activists in 2012 as “anti-LGBT” because of the ownership’s support of traditional marriage and opposition to same-sex marriage. The boycott campaign against Chick-fil-A resulted in a backlash of support, and the company’s 2012 profits soared.
H/T Mashable.