Several months ago’ I wrote a blog about Chick fil-A and the support that the founder of the company gave to various groups that were aligned with anti-gay movements and the damage it was doing to the brand image.

The purpose of this post was not to take sides but was about the damage the bad press can do to the franchisees who have invested large amounts of  money into a business they thought had their best interests at heart.  In other words, keep your personal beliefs out of business especially when you are talking about the livelihoods of decent hardworking people.

Well, the boys at Chick fil-A are at it again. This time they have rolled out the big legal guns and gone after a small businessman by the name of Bo Muller-Moore. Muller-Moore, a silk screen artist was asked by a kale farmer friend to print three t-shirts that said “Eat More Kale” to give to family. A few weeks later the farmer told Muller-Moore that people had been asking about the t-shirts and a small business developed. Muller-Moore says that this was more about supporting local kale farmers  than anything else but it did manage to make enough money for him to set up a small silk screen business.

Local entrepreneur does good?

Not as far as Chick fil-A is concerned!! Their legal eagles are after this small Vermont silk screen artist. Too close to “Eat mor chikn” they say. It will confuse their customer base. They have to protect their copyright and their intellectual property.

Chick fil-A must think their customers are not very bright. Can’t tell the difference between chicken and kale? A hint. Kale is green and it’s a vegetable. Chicken is neither of those things.

Leave the guy alone the phrase “Eat more xxxx” has been used for a variety of things over decades not just chicken. Sometimes big companies should use common sense rather than a big stick when dealing with other people. I am sure if this artist made a million t-shirts with “eat more kale “ printed on them it would not hurt Chick fil-A sales by one cent. Maybe they should learn from this artist. He’s promoting a product that is good for you….. and at least he can spell.

A quick word on a previous blog.

There is trouble in my family: My opinion has been put in doubt!! Some of my extended family have made aspersions as to my sanity regarding the best Pizza in Georgia. Fellini’s in Atlanta has been mentioned as definitely the best pizza. Rubbish!

What fool could even think that a reheated crust with topping added later could even come near Louie’s On the Lake. I have decided to divorce them all!! I may even write them out of my will, if I had anything worth leaving to them but I will definitely have them all committed to the local asylum. Does anyone get the idea that I take pizza very seriously!!

As an aside I have returned to Louie’s On The Lake since that blog and I can tell you that it is still number one in my books. I have actually talked to Louie and I had to apologize for the remark about him building his kid’s play house in the entrance way. It is not a play house but he and his kids are going to be making candy on the premise for sale in their own little kiosk over the holidays. What a great idea!!

I have been reading with interest the ongoing saga of Chick-fil-A and the alleged support the company has given to anti gay groups.

Thinking of myself as a reasonable and forward thinking man, I gave serious consideration to giving up Chick-fil-A permanently and confining my fast food chicken experiences to an ex-military gentleman with a penchant for wearing white.

My wife (a woman with far more common sense than I will ever have and a way of looking at things that often baffles me!) suggested that I look back to a time when I also worked for a company with fairly strong religious connections and some similar troubles they created for their franchisees. This reflection brought me to a completely different conclusion.

No matter what the parent company has done, what their background is, what we as consumers must remember is that the owners of the individual franchise stores are not necessarily involved with the religious preaching of the parent company. They are business people working hard to make a living.

If we as consumers boycott Chick-fil-A we will hurt the owners of the individual stores a lot more than the corporate entity. These franchisees have likely put up everything they own to borrow enough to buy their Chick-fil-A store.

The fault for this fiasco should be put squarely on the shoulders of the parent company, its founder and board of directors. How can any reasonable company make a decision that will piss off potentially half of the population of this country while at the same time affecting the livelihood of the people that have invested most and pay them monthly dues. Their franchisees!!

I admit to being impressed with the actions of most of the gay and lesbian groups who are mostly quoted as saying they must look into the situation in it’s entirety before they initiate a boycott. The University of Indiana Southbend had the common sense to look at the individual franchisee delivering sandwiches to the campus and decided that he/she did not necessarily share the sentiment of the parent company and lifted the ban.

If anyone is thinking of protesting Chick-fil-A because of their decision to support questionable groups; rather than a boycott of their restaurants, write letters to the founder and board of directors. Lots of them!! Maybe they will slowly get the idea that it is not 1933 any more, the world has moved on and we are trying to promote tolerance.