Chick-Fil-A will not be one of the new restaurant chains opening a location at the San Antonio International Airport, due to the company’s supposed “legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior.”
KTSA reports that on Thursday, six members of the San Antonio City Council voted to drop Chick-fil-A from the new Food, Beverage and Retail Prime Concession Agreement for the airport. The seven-year contract for concession management at the terminal is guaranteed to generate $2.1 million in revenue for the Texas city. Food shops that passed with the motion included Smoke Shack and Local Coffee.
City Councilman Robert Trevino was one of the council members who voted to strike Chick-Fil-A from the motion.
“With this decision, the City Council reaffirmed the work our city has done to become a champion of equality and inclusion,” Trevino said in a statement. “San Antonio is a city full of compassion, and we do not have room in our public facilities for a business with a legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior. Everyone has a place here, and everyone should feel welcome when they walk through our airport. I look forward to the announcement of a suitable replacement by Paradies.”
Trevino also suggested during the city council meeting that San Antonio’s Office of Equity be involved in all future business decisions being considered by the city.
“This is a very exciting project because it will refresh the airport’s footprint, addresses traveler’s requests to have local and healthy options and will even allow travelers an avenue to order food from a mobile kiosk and avoid standing in a line,” said Russ Handy, who serves as Aviation Director for the City of San Antonio.
When asked by Fox News for comment, a rep for Chick-Fil-A clarified the restaurant chain’s code of conduct.
“The press release issued by Councilmember Treviño was the first we heard of his motion and its approval by the San Antonio City Council. We agree with him that everyone is and should feel welcome at Chick-fil-A,” the rep said. “We have a fundamental code of conduct at Chick-fil-A: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
“The 140,000 people who serve customers in our restaurants on a daily basis represent and embrace all people, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity,” they continued. “Our intent is to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”
“We would still welcome the opportunity to have a thoughtful dialogue with the city council and plan to reach out to them. It’s unfortunate that mischaracterizations of our brand have led to decisions like this,” the rep concluded. “The sole focus of the Chick-fil-A Foundation is to support causes focused on youth and education. We are proud of the positive impact we are making in communities across America and have been transparent about our giving on our web site.”
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