Birmingham, Ala. — Chick-Fil-A is now America’s favorite fast food restaurant, eclipsing mainstays such as McDonald’s and new-comers like Chipotle. According to the annual American Consumer Satisfaction index, the family-oriented chain had a score of 86, the highest of any on the list, and just in time for National Fried Chicken Day.
The group polled 70,000 people for their opinions on various consumer offerings, including fast food. In its first year on the index, the Southern, Christian Conservative-run sandwich chain debuted at the top.
Forrest Morgeson, director of research at ACSI, attributes the appeal to one thing to the chain’s “laser focus” on a particular product. “It focuses on one thing and does it exceptionally well…and that is chicken sandwiches,” he told CNN.
Chick-Fil-A is well known for its focus on high quality service and emphasis on traditional Christian values. Those values have also caused many on the political left to demonize the chain and several northern cities and universities have banned it altogether.
Many conservative Americans, particularly here in Alabama, have responded positively towards the company’s stances, turning out in large numbers on Chick-Fil-A appreciation day back in 2012 to support the chain’s ability to express its support for traditional marriage.
Several customers have shared random acts of kindness performed by its famously polite staff members at the restaurants in Alabama.
Birmingham customer Andrea Stoker shared this story, which subsequently went viral, on her Facebook page in January:
My son and I were at the location on Highway 280 in Birmingham, AL when a man came in to escape the 35 degree temps and strong winds with all of his earthly possessions strapped to his back.
Most businesses would force him out, but I watched as the manager walked up to him and asked if he could do anything for him. Before the man could even answer, the manager asked if he had a pair of gloves and walked to the table at which he’d been sitting and picked up his own. As he handed the man his gloves, he asked another employee to get him something to eat.
“I was in the CFA on Hwy 31 in Hoover several months ago and saw something similar,” another customer commented on Facebook. “It was pouring rain, and they had let a homeless man stay most of the day and given him food and had also gotten him some clothes from Burlington Coat Factory. So wonderful to see the love of Christ put into action to meet someone’s needs. LOVE Chick-Fil-A!!!!!”
