A fan-favorite fast-food restaurant, Chick-fil-A, is finally opened in Wayne, NJ on December 5th, 2019. It is located on Willowbrook Blvd next to other recently opened locations, such as Shake Shack and Cava.

This is the first restaurant of the franchise to open in Passaic county and the 45th store to open in New Jersey. The new Willowbrook location is already equipped with full-time and part-time staff ready to serve eager customers. 

“I like their food, so I’m really happy. I can’t wait to go,” says Junior Ashley Goldberg.

Although Wayne may be a hub for popular stores and restaurants, Chick-fil-A was always one that students craved. Driving all the way to Garden State Plaza never seemed worth it for a chicken sandwich. 

However, many people also have moral dilemmas about giving Chick-fil-A their business due to their lack of support for the LGBT community. 

Chick-fil-A, a religious company that is even closed on Sunday, has been known to donate money towards strict anti-LGBT charities.

However, they recently announced in November 2019 that these charities, like the Salvation Army and The Fellowship of Chrisitan Athletes, would no longer receive funding. Instead, the Chick-fil-a Foundation is giving its funds in 2020 to charities promoting youth education, combating youth homelessness and fighting hunger.

Chick-fil-A’s president and CEO stated this change had little to do with the public backlash but more about wanting to be clear about the company’s message. 

“I think that it’s important to separate the large corporation from the independent owners of the franchise. Although corporate might be donating money to places I don’t support, the food is still good,” comments Junior Skyler Sieradzky.

Even though the franchise received a negative response from the public, this did not affect its profit. As of late 2018, it was the third-largest fast-food chain in the United States. 

“I think that it’s time they make that change. They are definitely not excused for their previous donations but it is a step in the right direction. Even though I already ate there before, it is nice to hear positivity in the community” Junior Joelle Ricci comments.