The familiar hum of local traffic along Mack Avenue has been joined by the clang of machinery and bright orange construction signs, marking the arrival of a new Chick-fil-A. While many people in Grosse Pointe are thrilled at the fact there will be chicken sandwiches and milkshakes close to home, there is still a considerable segment of the community that feels outraged with the opening, wanting to maintain the small, homey feel Grosse Pointe provides. 

Many Grosse Pointers hold a strong passion for the atmosphere small businesses produce around the city. Despite the increase in small businesses — especially restaurants — since 2023, numerous residents feel big chains such as Chick-fil-A would erode the small-town charm of Grosse Pointe.

These concerns, however, extend beyond aesthetics. Some residents also take issue with the company’s values and past controversies, including its donations to anti-LGBTQ+ locations and charities. Prior to 2020, Chick-fil-A donated millions of dollars to both the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and the Salvation Army, two charities that have controversial stands on homosexuality and same-sex marriage. 

In 2018 alone, the Chick-fil-A Foundation donated $1.65 million to FCA. In the organization’s employment applications, FCA stated “neither heterosexual sex outside of marriage nor any homosexual act constitute an alternative lifestyle acceptable to God,” according to 2019 reporting from CNN. The application also reportedly read, “marriage is exclusively the union of one man and one woman.” These views, whether or not they reflect the Chick-fil-A of 2025, are sparking retaliation in regards to the new location on Mack, and numerous Grosse Pointe residents are displaying anti-Chick-fil-A yard signs featuring symbols and sayings exclaiming “No CFA.”.

As well as the donations to FCA, Chick-fil-A donated $115,000 to the Salvation Army, an openly evangelical and pro-life organization. “The Salvation Army is concerned about the growing ready acceptance of abortion, which reflects insufficient concern for vulnerable persons including the unborn,” the Salvation Army writes in a statement. This statement is deterring a large group of people who believe in the right to abortion from buying food from Chick-fil-A, due to their support of this organization in the past.

Despite the flow of money from Chick-fil-A being donated to these charities ending in 2020, Chick-fil-A presented support to The Salvation Army through Chick-fil-A’s Shared Table Program multiple times, according to Chick-fil-A. Even without donating a cent to The Salvation Army after stating the donations would stop, the action of donating food to the organization still displays Chick-fil-A’s support for their cause without directly funding the company. 

Even if community members ignore the controversial donations Chick-fil-A has made in the past, some members still are wary of big food chains setting down roots around Grosse Pointe. With the cozy, everyone-knows-everyone vibe Grosse Pointe provides, big, widespread food chains such as Chick-fil-A ruin the charm by inviting a commercial feeling to the area. 

Despite donating to controversial charities and upsetting citizens who are fond of the small town aura, it is undeniable many people are excited for the beginning of Chick-fil-A’s time in Grosse Pointe. While some may be opposed to spending their money there, we cannot deny for some families it is an easy dinner. After all, Chick-fil-A has made it clear through their marketing and social media: they hold a strong value for family and strive to bring joy to their customers.