When it comes to fast food chain restaurants, Chick-Fil-A has earned its share of backlash due to its support for anti-LGBTQ+ groups. So, perhaps it's not surprising that Twitter users would assume the worst after the chain seemed to call out yet another "community" on Twitter.
It all started when one unsatisfied customer, Don, or @KANYEISMYDAD on Twitter, voiced his disappointment that spicy chicken nuggets have not been made available even though the restaurant has a spicy chicken sandwich and a series of competitors who all have a spicy chicken nugget option.
Don tweeted:
"Grilled Spicy Deluxe, but still noooo spicy nuggets."
\u201cgrilled spicy deluxe but still noooo spicy nuggets\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026@ChickfilA\u2026..\u201d— Don (@Don) 1662742818
Don was clearly frustrated, but unfortunately, Chick-Fil-A's online response to him seemed to make things worse.
In response to his tweet, the chain replied:
"Your community will be the first to know if spicy items are added to the permanent menu, Don!"
\u201c@KANYEISMYDAD Your community will be the first to know if spicy items are added to the permanent menu, Don!\u201d— Don (@Don) 1662742818
While it might be a nice gesture to try to make a customer feel more included, writing "your community" instead of "you" was perhaps not the best choice of phrasing on the restaurant's part, and Twitter was quick to notice. Especially Don himself.
\u201cmy community?????\u201d— Don (@Don) 1662753109
Many on Twitter deemed this response to be "tone-deaf" at best and perhaps even racist, as pointing to Don's community also pointed to the fact that he was Black, which was unnecessary in an exchange about a food menu item.
Some immediately took issue with Chick-Fil-A's reply.
\u201c@ChickfilA @KANYEISMYDAD Excuse meeee!?\u201d— Don (@Don) 1662742818
\u201c@ChickfilA @KANYEISMYDAD explain yourself - QUICKLY. \ud83e\udd28\u201d— Don (@Don) 1662742818
\u201c@ChickfilA @KANYEISMYDAD What community? I want specifics.\u201d— Don (@Don) 1662742818
\u201c@ChickfilA @KANYEISMYDAD What do you mean by that?\u201d— Don (@Don) 1662742818
\u201cNow what community is that?!\u201d— \ud83d\udcff\u2728\ud83d\udd2eLovely\ud83d\udd2e\u2728\ud83d\udcff (@\ud83d\udcff\u2728\ud83d\udd2eLovely\ud83d\udd2e\u2728\ud83d\udcff) 1662822355
\u201c@ChickfilA @urbaninfluence_ @KANYEISMYDAD Do you mean like the black community?\u201d— Don (@Don) 1662742818
One user, however, pointed to a previous post by Chick-Fil-A that gave a clue as to what the chain actually meant by "community."
\u201c@ChickfilA @KANYEISMYDAD All jokes aside, they reply like this frequently.\u201d— Don (@Don) 1662742818
Was it possible that Chick-Fil-A was simply letting Don know that he and people who live in his area would be alerted to the addition of spicy nuggets in his market? Is that what they meant by "community"?
From a statement Chick-fil-A emailed to TODAY, that does appear to be precisely what they meant:
“The response was a poor choice of words but was not intended in any way to be insensitive or disrespectful,” a spokesperson said. “We often use the term ‘community’ in a broader sense to talk about places where we operate restaurants and serve the surrounding community.”
Considering the firestorm it caused, "poor choice of words" is putting it mildly.
But the real question is: did they let Don know?
Looks like he found out with the rest of us.
\u201cNot them making statements but didn\u2019t reach out to me @ChickfilA. Crazy.\u201d— Don (@Don) 1663022484
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