The Dorchester Reporter alerts us that the chain, long kept out of Boston by Tom Menino, is looking to move into Dorchester and Mattapan, with the backing of Mattapan state Rep. Russell Holmes, who says he's looking for "a Chick-fil-A in Black Dorchester, or [anywhere] in Dorchester" with local franchise owners.
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A little behind the times, no?
By BostonDog
Wed, 02/12/2025 - 8:12pm
I thought the trendy new in franchised chicken places where Dave Hot Chicken and Raising Cane's. (Now both conveniently located in the same plaza in Medford.)
I'm with Menino. There's plenty of good local places plus even some ok national ones so I don't need to give a dime to the homophobic haters behind Chick-fil-A.
I hope they open and lose a lot of money on the locations.
Neighborhood Kitchen
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 02/12/2025 - 8:21pm
If you are looking for tenders in Medford, NK is less than a mile away from these chains and has much better food overall. https://www.nkboston.com/
Dave's Hot and Raising Cane's are perfectly good places to eat, but there's better to be had.
Agreed
By BostonDog
Wed, 02/12/2025 - 8:23pm
Neighborhood Kitchen is great. Although I miss having Chicken & Rice guys in Medford Sq for a quick snack that wasn't too expensive.
Nobody was more sad about C&RGs closing ...
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 02/12/2025 - 9:15pm
Than the young man with the "golden ticket". One of my boys treated that place like a cafeteria when he was in college because he got that special free meals coin on opening day.
you can't complain about Trump
By deselby
Wed, 02/12/2025 - 8:57pm
if you support a local dictator violating the First Amendment and Article II of the Declaration of Rights.
Not so fast, dear
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 02/12/2025 - 9:14pm
Gay Hate and Jesus Chicken has been repeatedly found to have violated wage and hour laws, and religious rights of workers.
Not just gay and trans workers, but also child labor laws, religious coercion, and racial discrimination.
So sure, open a few outlets - but they will need to be carefully monitored given this organization's track record.
Better yet...
By Former Westroxer
Wed, 02/12/2025 - 9:21pm
fuck Chick-Fil-A. If anyone's dying for that taste, here's what you do: Get some chicken pucks. Cook them. Add mustard and mayo. Done.
The neighborhoods don't need it. They need restaurants owned by local people keeping the money in the neighborhood.
Even better yet
By Cleary Squared
Thu, 02/13/2025 - 4:54pm
Before you wax poetic on local restaurants being better than corporate chains, go back and read some of the posts on Stash's over on Belgrade Avenue (2022-2023) and see how its owner treated their employees (spoiler alert: abuse was the common denominator).
You're proving my point
By Former Westroxer
Thu, 02/13/2025 - 3:07pm
I'll take a local abuser who was held accountable, thank you. I'm not saying that the locals are always going to be saints. I'm saying that CFA is bad even by national chain restaurants. Nice try arguing with me, though. Good effort. Really. Be proud of yourself today.
search "fast food x" workers rights suit
By deselby
Wed, 02/12/2025 - 9:31pm
same search you ran. KFC, McDonald's, Chipotle, Panera, Starbucks
Chick Fil A is not special in any regard. Fast food restaurants are not known for treating workers well.
Three minutes spent doing the same searches show the same pages of abuses and alleged abuses.
https://www.hrgrapevine.com/us/content/article/2024-10-02-hero-trans-mcd...
https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/employment-labor/popeyes...
Running the searches makes me want to ban ALL fast food outlets for systematic labor abuses.
But attempting to use that to bar Chick Fil A would be a clear pretext for viewpoint and religious belief discrimination.
Religion?
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 02/12/2025 - 9:36pm
Pray tell, what religion compels them to violate child labor laws? Racial discrimination laws?
What gives them the right to force employees to pray?
You are blowing smoke out your ass, as usual.
They have a right to close on Sundays if they want to. They don't get to scream JESUS SAYS I CAN every time they fuck over their workers in secular fashion.
I'm gonna tell you to do with the US Constitution what I tell neopharisees to do with their bibles: less thumping, more reading
the religion of profit
By deselby
Wed, 02/12/2025 - 9:42pm
which I noted all fast food outlets share.
Their expressed beliefs of Christianity however, are constitutionally protected.
Menino didn't block a business permit because they treated workers poorly. If he applied that standard, many if not most restaurants and other businesses would not be approved.
He blocked them because of their religious viewpoint.
Toms was a nasty little prick
By anon
Wed, 02/12/2025 - 10:05pm
which should make anyone think twice about supporting a candidate who brings in Michael Kineavy as a close advisor.
Talk to any employee at any
By Ben
Wed, 02/12/2025 - 10:20pm
Talk to any employee at any CFA and you will learn that they treat their employees great. Teenagers and adults working the freezing drive thru lanes will tell you how many years they have been there and how its the best job they've had. There is no religious component within the locations and even the Sunday thing was not tied to religion.
I've been there a couple of times
By Cleary Squared
Thu, 02/13/2025 - 9:39am
What you're saying is correct. The last time I went there, the employees were friendly, polite, and even gave out mints afterwards.
I suppose when you're treated right behind the counter (not just financially, but interpersonally), that good will flows forward to customer service.
seriously
By anon
Thu, 02/13/2025 - 3:29pm
You're so full of hate that you're complaining about the labor practices of a fast food chain that totally closes down on Sundays?
That's a lot of big words
By Transphobia Watch
Thu, 02/13/2025 - 11:09am
to just say you hate queer folks, which we already know.
Fast food is such a ripoff
By anon
Wed, 02/12/2025 - 8:53pm
Fast food is such a ripoff now. When did MacDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's stop good sized burgers and change them to tie size of SSS burgers at criminal prices? Sad, Skinny Sliders. All of the chains are joining in on ripping off the masses. Don't waste your money on shit that don't look like the advertisements.
Chick-Fil-A's owner's views suck
By Will LaTulippe
Wed, 02/12/2025 - 10:39pm
But in a fair society, he gets judged by the marketplace.
I'm happy that Chick-Fil-A outlived Menino.
Chick-Fil-A = crap hateful chicken
By FryGuy
Thu, 02/13/2025 - 12:34am
Chick-Fil-A is trash fast-food fried chicken + the ownership hates gays and donates money to bigoted causes... who needs this in Boston? I for one would not like shit-tier chicken with a side of hate sauce
>> "... sir this is a Wendys"
I say this as a fried chicken aficionado who has eaten Fried Chicken at almost every restaurant in Boston
Magoo sez
By MisterMagooForYoo
Thu, 02/13/2025 - 6:36am
Magoo luvs luvs luvs Magoo a scrumpdidilyuptious Spicy Chicken Deluxe. Magoo. 🥸
On reading the Reporter’s
By dvg
Thu, 02/13/2025 - 7:17am
On reading the Reporter’s article, it seems like everyone in the assembly, including Rep Holmes who I used to respect, was rooting for another junk food outlet in the neighborhood without reservation. They only care about the corporate structure of the next junk food dealer.
The evidence of the effect of junk food on one’s gut and overall health, not to mention the effect of chicken factory farming, is overwhelming. But discussing those at a community meeting in Dorchester or Mattapan seems very much out of fashion nowadays.
For those of us who still care a little about the health of people and the planet, this is becoming an increasingly lonely world.
“If you build it they will
By Frelmont
Thu, 02/13/2025 - 7:37am
“If you build it they will come.” - FoD
I can’t abide their efforts to oppose gay marriage, but exercising their First Amendment rights is their right. Also, they softened on that.
Right now the beef is from anti-religionists.
Wow
By lbb
Thu, 02/13/2025 - 8:42am
"exercising their rights is a right" is the kind of statement that could only be made by someone who hasn't ever had their rights (i.e., whether they should have any) debated other people like they were talking about the paint scheme on Green Line trolleys.
Nah, that's a lie. They "softened" until people said "oh, ok" and went back to scarfing down their shitty hate chicken sandwiches. But Dan Cathy never budged an inch and Dan Cathy is the one whose pockets you're lining when you buy Chick Fil A.
What on earth are you talking about?
Meh
By Errico
Thu, 02/13/2025 - 8:02am
CFL is …. Fine. No more no less
But their franchise model is slightly different than other fast food locations. Should you be “chosen” you essentially become the “manager” and are paid as such. This establishments model is not the wealth builder Rep Holmes thinks it is. It is a path to the ever shrinking middle class but to be “chosen” you need to be way way way up in the upper middle class.
To be forthright, I was denied 5-6 years ago which surprised the hell out of me given my liquidity and assets but I can definitely say now it was for the best and not for social issues but more that the juice (time/ effort) was not worth the squeeze (pay).
I do not believe the City of
By anon
Thu, 02/13/2025 - 8:41am
I do not believe the City of Boston should actively reject a company because of the religious convictions of the owner or even what they donate to but why do elected officials have to shill for them? Also the gay owner of the one Boston location selling out the rest of the LGBTQ universe in pursuit of money. I think Menino was wrong to say no to them outright but this is rolling out a bright red carpet for them. Are there not any other junk food operators they could have teamed up with? Why are elected officials even shilling for one company like this anyway?
It’s a great idea, but
By Waquiot
Thu, 02/13/2025 - 9:33am
I think my opinion on Chick Fil-A is known, and I am sure there is demand in the area, but the real elephant in the room- as opposed to the nonsense people obsess over- is traffic. The reality is that the brand brings traffic.
If they can solve that problem, I wish them the best.
I agree about traffic
By Rob
Thu, 02/13/2025 - 2:19pm
I agree about traffic
When it's not an urban center pedestrian-traffic-only location, they seem to need a good bit of space for parking/drive-thru.
The only locations that come to mind are Gallivan Boulevard near Neponset Circle. The former Bank of America lot might be adaptable for their purposes. Also, the Walgreens parking lot might do, especially if the Walgreens closed.
Other than that... it's hard to think of a spot. They would need to half-destroy a small shopping center, like the one on River St between Lower Mills and Mattapan, to have enough space.
- also, CFA seems to carefully space their franchises from each other. It keeps demand up and fuels the need to accommodate car traffic. I doubt they'd go too far to the west of Mattapan (say - Hyde Park/Readville), because that might get into the orbit of their Dedham franchise.
I don't think they have anything close enough to Dorchester/Mattapan to conflict - though they are building one in Braintree on Union St near route 3.
My assumption
By Waquiot
Thu, 02/13/2025 - 9:51pm
The desire is to have the franchise in or close to Holmes’ district. The only spot I can think of is by the railroad bridge on Morton Street.
Then again, corporate must have scoped a spot out. Should be interesting.
That semi-vacant lot in front
By Rob
Fri, 02/14/2025 - 10:07am
That semi-vacant lot in front of the Dunks, bath supply, and commuter rail?
It looks like it would be a bit small for their usual model. Maybe it would work - IF they tore down the Dunks, moved the business/RR driveway to the far end, and combined the lots.
What values?
By Paul B
Thu, 02/13/2025 - 1:53pm
If the premise is to boycott or keep out despicable peoples business why do we buy anything made in Peoples Republic of China?
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