Redwood City Readies For Controversial Restaurant Opening

Note to readers: This story has been substantially updated to reflect additional information including a statement from Chick-fil-A .

REDWOOD CITY, CA – A company with a history of promoting anti-LGBTQ rights groups is hoping customers in a region with little appetite for intolerance will overlook its politics, at least for long enough to eat a chicken sandwich.

The experiment is about to begin.

Chick-fil-A's website lists Thursday (July 23) as the opening date of its Redwood City Whipple & 101 location at 536 Whipple Ave.

The company has been criticized and the subject of a national boycott for its open opposition to LGBTQ rights and has donated millions to groups opposing gay rights over the years.

The company has in recent years substantially reduced but not eliminated funding to such groups, USA Today reports.

Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy himself has fueled the controversy.

Cathy denounced same-sex marriage in a 2012 interview in which he said "we're inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage. And I pray God's mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude that thinks we have the audacity to redefine what marriage is all about."

San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa initially expressed opposition to the company's Peninsula restaurant opening, telling Patch in August of 2019

"Chick-fil-A's values don't represent our values. The logo might as well say 'we hate gay people.'"

Canepa has since given up his opposition to the Redwood City Chick-fil-A after the company released a statement in November of last year pledging $9 million in contributions to support education and efforts to fight hunger and homelessness.

Canepa said company’s contributions to worthy causes represented a “a huge win for the LGBTQ community” in a statement to The San Mateo Daily Journal.

“Hate does not have a place in San Mateo County and it appears the company has opened its heart a bit by taking this action,” Canepa’s statement said.

“Going forward, it would be even better if ownership denounced prior support for these hateful policies, but it is a good sign that they are starting to listen.”

Chick-fil-A did not immediately respond to a request from Patch to determine whether the company’s CEO stands by his 2012 comments.

Canepa told KPIX “We want to cut the ribbon with Chick-fil-A because of the action they’ve taken.”

The supervisor who represents District 5, which includes Brisbane, Broadmoor, Colma, Daly City and parts of the City of San Bruno and South San Francisco had advised the city of Redwood City that even though it cannot deny the restaurant based on land-use issues, the local government could hold hearings on the matter.

Canepa also wrote the company CEO a letter last July urging him to withdraw the permit request because the company does not "represent the values of the overwhelming majority of San Mateo County residents."

He cited the county as being California's first to open a special commission to serve LGBTQ needs in order for that minority "to live in a community that fosters inclusion rather than hate."

Correction: A previous version of this story said that Supervisor David Canepa wrote Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy last month. The letter was sent in July of last year.