Hundreds gather as USA fried chicken chain opens its doors in Northern Ireland for first time
The Belfast opening comes after Chick-fil-A's controversial history, including protests and boycotts over its past donations to anti-LGBTQ+ organizations and public comments from its CEO opposing same-sex marriage
American fried chicken giant Chick-fil-A has officially opened its first restaurant in Northern Ireland, marking a major step in its UK expansion.
The fast food giant, which has been embroiled in controversy for its traditional Christian values, was welcomed by hundreds of local fans at Applegreen’s Lisburn South Services in Belfast.
Popular menu items including the brand’s famous original chicken sandwich, signature lemonade and hand-breaded nuggets were on offer throughout the day.
The new location is one of the company’s first establishments outside of North America, following its plans to launch additional sites in Leeds, Liverpool and London.
A second Northern Ireland outlet is set to open at Applegreen’s Templepatrick service station in March.
The opening comes after Chick-fil-A's controversial history including protests and boycotts over its past donations to anti-LGBTQ+ organisations and public comments from its CEO opposing same-sex marriage.
Founded in 1946 by Christian businessman S Truett Cathy, the US fast food giant has grown to become the third largest fast food chain in the US by sales with more than 3,000 restaurants across the US, Puerto Rico and Canada.
Chick-fil-A’s previous attempt to enter the UK market in 2019 was met with significant backlash leading to the closure of its Reading pop-up after just six months.
Since then, the company has made efforts to address these concerns including appointing a head of diversity and shifting its charitable focus to support education and hunger relief, aiming to distance itself from the controversies of its past.
Despite the challenges, the fast food brand hopes to make a fresh start in the UK, while continuing to uphold its Christian values.
One tradition is closing its restaurants on Sundays which dates back to the founder who wanted to give his employees a day off to rest and spend time with family or friends.
A spokesperson confirmed that the Belfast opening “had a great turnout today”.