Protesters Picket Grand Opening Of Deerfield Chick-Fil-A

DEERFIELD, IL — The opening of newest Chicago area location of a chicken sandwich chain was greeted by fans and protesters gathered in the cold Thursday. Nearly a dozen demonstrators and about two dozen customers were on hand when the Chick-fil-A at 75 Waukegan Road opened its doors to the public for the first time at 6:30 a.m., Pioneer Press reported. By the middle of the afternoon, another group of more than 35 protesters showed up to draw attention to the conservative politics of the head of the company.

Chick-fil-A locations are locally owned franchises, but the company's chairman and chief executive officer Dan Cathy has been criticized for his opposition to same-sex marriage, support of "conversion therapy" and the use of his company's nonprofit arm to donate millions of dollars to causes seen by LGBT activists as anti-gay.

The operator of the Deerfield location is Michigan native Todd Shane, a former product engineer for an office furniture company who founded the North Carolina-based company Classic Stone Creations before becoming a Chick-fil-A franchisee, according to a release.

Located at the former site of a long-vacant Office Depot at the southeast corner of Waukegan and Lake Cook roads, the restaurant is the 17th franchise to open within a 25-mile radius. It first received village plan commission approval in January 2018 and had originally been slated to open in this spring.

"I am excited to have an opportunity to serve the Deerfield community both inside and outside my restaurant," Shane said in a statement before the opening. "I am committed to developing my [employees] as together we provide a remarkable experience to our guests who become part of our family."

Related:
Opening Delayed For Deerfield Chick-Fil-A
Deerfield Chick-fil-A Project Gets Plan Commission Approval
Chick-Fil-A Eyes Deerfield Site After Office Depot Demolition

According to the Deerfield Review, Shane met briefly with protesters who gathered across the street from his store holding signs with messages like "I love my gay friends more than your chicken sandwich" and "hate has no home here." Demonstrators told the paper Shane said he was open to further meetings and that they hoped that would support equality and diversity with his actions. In a statement, Shane said he tries to create an inclusive environment and invited anyone with questions about his franchise to come in and chat.

Ahead of the protest, Chick-fil-A corporate headquarters provided a statement to Windy City Times emphasizing that the owners of its franchises are free to support organizations that are reflective of their communities.

"We are aware of the planned demonstration by concerned community members and will provide a place for this group to peacefully demonstrate. Chick-fil-A is a restaurant company focused on food, service and hospitality," it said. "The newest Deerfield Chick-fil-A will strive to provide a welcoming place for everyone that walks through its doors."

Fans of the chain told Pioneer Press they previously had to travel to Vernon Hills to get their fill of its fried chicken.

Veronica and I were the first customers at the new @ChickfilA in Deerfield IL! Delicious! pic.twitter.com/qUhjP7frpr
— (@curtschaller) November 14, 2019