Chick-fil-A plans to open restaurant in Boston

BOSTON — One of the most popular fast food chains in the country plans to open a restaurant in Copley Square, but the move doesn’t come without controversy.

In 2012, then Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said Chick-fil-A wasn’t welcome in the city because of CEO Dan Cathy’s outspoken stance against gay marriage.

“It’s about equal rights in our city,” Menino told Boston 25 News at the time. “That’s what it’s all about.”

Menino blasted Cathy in a scathing open letter that went viral.

Chick-fil-A now plans to open a restaurant at 569 Boylston Street, taking over the current home of a Boloco restaurant.

“We are always looking for new opportunities to serve Massachusetts customers and are excited about the prospect of joining the Back Bay neighborhood,” Chick-fil-A spokeswoman Amanda Hannah told Boston 25 News in a statement. “While we are still early in the approval process, we can confirm that we are pursuing a location at 569 Boylston St.”

In exclusive interview with Boston 25 News sister station WSB-TV in Atlanta earlier this year, Cathy reiterated his support of ‘the biblical definition of marriage,’ but added he’s learned some lessons about speaking publicly about his personal beliefs because of his high-profile position as CEO.

“We're a business that has a long track record of being respectful of other people,” Cathy said. “We serve the public. We serve the whole spectrum of the public. It’s our whole ethos of our business to treat everyone with honor, dignity and respect.”

Chick-fil-A has the support of the Back Bay Association, a key neighborhood voice, which stated there’s a market for fast food in the Back Bay.

The Atlanta-based chain already has eleven locations across Massachusetts with another in Methuen opening in November.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh once echoed the criticism of Menino. Boston 25 News has reached out to his office for comment.

Cox Media Group