Holy Chicken

If you want a spicy chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A on a lazy Sunday afternoon, you’re out of luck.

This is because all Chick-fil-A stores are closed on Sundays so the employees can go to church and spend time with their families. And while the mission of its main competitor, KFC, is “to sell food in a fast, friendly environment,” Chick-fil-A’s mission is to “glorify God.”

Sounds more like a religious cult than a fast food restaurant? Here are more interesting facts:

• Chick-fil-A’s company meetings and retreats include prayers.
• The company’s founder and chairman, S Truett Cathy, teaches Sunday School classes at the First Baptist Church in Jonesboro, GA.
•  Instead of Barbies and Beanie Babies, Chick-fil-A gives out toys from the children’s Christian TV show VeggieTales and CDs from the Christian radio program Adventures in Odyssey.
• Muslim former employee, Aziz Latif, sued Chick-fil-A after he was fired for refusing to participate in company prayers.

For many, the question is much more complicated than “Chargrilled or Spicy?” – to Chick or not to Chick has become an emotional battle between hunger and moral believes.

Personally, I try to waste my time on more important decisions, and when I want Chick-fil-A, I’ll have Chick-fil-A – well, except on Sundays. How about you, would restaurants’ affiliations influence your dining decisions?