Chick-fil-A retracts racial gaffe after social media storm

Restaurant chain Chick-fil-A learned the hard way when a tweet about its newly relaunched spicy chicken sandwich sparked a hotter debate than sauce.

The company tried to reassure customers after Twitter users and Chick-fil-A nugget fans criticized the lack of spicy nuggets on the menu and pointed out the return of the Grilled Spicy Deluxe Chicken Sandwich. .

“your community If something spicy is added to the permanent menu, don it before anyone else! ‘ the company tweeted directly to the poster.

What the people who created Chick-fil-A’s message clearly didn’t know is that using the term “your community” in such a way can come across as a veiled racial slur. That was it.

We received over 700 replies, many of which criticized the company.

“Your community? I need an explanation For that comment,” one tweet read, according to NBC News. “‘Our’ community doesn’t want to think there’s a racial nuance behind it.”

Many others were quick to point out that Chick-fil-A used the phrase all the time, and back it up with screenshots.

The online uproar has led the restaurant chain to admit some negligence. He also explained that the phrase is used all the time and only refers to the geography and service area of ​​a restaurant.

A spokesperson told NBC News, “The response was an inappropriate choice of language, but was not intended to be insensitive or disrespectful. We operate restaurants and serve the surrounding community.” We often use the broader term “community” to talk about the places we offer. ”

The foundation for that interpretation was probably already laid. Just two years before him, at the height of nationwide protests following the murder of George Floyd in police custody, his then-CEO Dan Kathy was accused of racism. interrupting a roundtable discussion on polish your sneakers Hip-hop artist and participant Lecrae.

The 69-year-old executive stepped down in September 2021, handing the reins to his son, Andrew Truet Kathy.