Boycott dooms first UK Chick-fil-A

[theprestige]

And because it's part of Yum Brands, spun off from Pepsico, the pop will be Pepsi. I prefer Coke.

I figure, by the time you find yourself ordering at the counter of a fast food establishment, you've already crossed the Rubicon of which pop you prefer.

 

[TragicMonkey]

This one does.

It has only made sense to me after the discussion in this thread.

Local Person Finds Sense In Chicken. "All Has Been Made Clear." Stock Market In Turmoil.

 

[theprestige]

This one does.

It has only made sense to me after the discussion in this thread.

My point is that it doesn't have to make sense in order to work. "Chick-fil-A" isn't any more meaningful in American English than in British English. But the brand is recognized. The menu is popular. The franchise is successful. I wouldn't be surprised if the inherent weirdness of the name is part of the reason for the success of the brand.

So no, I don't think you're having any real trouble with the name. Or at least no more trouble than anyone else, this side of the pond or that, who's buying their sandwiches or boycotting their stores.

 

[ArchSas]

Fast food companies come up with some odd names indeed. How the heck a Louisiana style cajun chicken place came to be named "Popeyes" is beyond me. They don't even have spinach on the menu!

Then of course there is "Wendy's", which was owned and promoted by .... a guy named Dave.

And finally there's Carl's Jr., even though there is no Carl's Sr. And Carl's Jr...what? What is his junior?

Popeye's was named after Popeye Doyle. Apparently The French Connection had just come out and the founder was a big fan. Wendy's was named after Dave Thomas's daughter. Carl's Jr. actually did start out as a "junior" version of a restaurant named Carl's; IIRC, the owner had a full service restaurant and the junior versions were founded as satellite, hamburger-only branches that ended up being much more popular.

I have no idea why I can remember all of that. It's completely useless.

 

[Hellbound]

Popeye's was named after Popeye Doyle. Apparently The French Connection had just come out and the founder was a big fan. Wendy's was named after Dave Thomas's daughter. Carl's Jr. actually did start out as a "junior" version of a restaurant named Carl's; IIRC, the owner had a full service restaurant and the junior versions were founded as satellite, hamburger-only branches that ended up being much more popular.

I have no idea why I can remember all of that. It's completely useless.

And, of course, McDonald's was named after a Scottish immigrant who thought "What if we flatten the haggis, and put it on a bun?"*. And the rest is history.

*-Note: May or may not be loosely based on what could be a true story possibly.

 

[DuvalHMFIC]

Damn, I here I always thought McDonald's was like "well, we sell cows, pigs, and potatoes" and took the name from Old McDonald, the man who had a farm.

 

[Information Analyst]

As said previously, the working of it has nothing to do with it being a common phrase in American English. I doubt that UKians will have any real trouble with it.

But, as has been pointed out, "filet" as pronounced in the US is not commonly used in the UK, as we use "fillet," pronounced "fill-it," but it's hardly ever applied to chicken. If you say "chicken fillet," more Brits will probably think of this than the meat. Even if people pronounce the "A" in the company name "right," it's essentially meaningless.

 

[TragicMonkey]

But, as has been pointed out, "filet" as pronounced in the US is not commonly used in the UK, as we use "fillet," pronounced "fill-it." Even if people pronounce the "A" in the company name "right," it's essentially meaningless.

Uh huh. I think everyone agrees it's a stupid name and a failed attempt at whatever they were attempting. People were explaining how the name happened, not defending it as being a particularly good name.

 

[zooterkin]

My point is that it doesn't have to make sense in order to work. "Chick-fil-A" isn't any more meaningful in American English than in British English.

Except for the fact that it is.

 

[theprestige]

But, as has been pointed out, "filet" as pronounced in the US is not commonly used in the UK, as we use "fillet," pronounced "fill-it," and it's hardly ever applied to chicken. If you say "chicken fillet," more Brits will probably think of this than the meat. Even if people pronounce the "A" in the company name "right," it's essentially meaningless.

And as has been pointed out, it doesn't have to be meaningful to work. In fact, it being kind of weird, and meaningless beyond the actual brand itself, might even help with the effect.

Uh huh. I think everyone agrees it's a stupid name and a failed attempt at whatever they were attempting. People were explaining how the name happened, not defending it as being a particularly good name.

Is it a stupid name, though? The brand is recognized. The menu is popular. The franchise is successful. Having a "stupid" name might even be an advantage, for this sort of thing.

Except for the fact that it is.

Not really. Americans don't call chicken "chick". Nobody really says "chicken filet". The meaning it has is tautological, deriving from the success of the brand: "Chick-fil-A" means "Chick-fil-A". That's the same on both sides of the pond.

 

[TragicMonkey]

Let's brainstorm better names for a fast food chicken chain!

I favor "Cluck Cluck Chicken To Be Eaten By Human Persons". It's elegant, attention-grabbing, and accurately conveys exactly what it is. CCC2BE10BHP for short.

 

[Hellbound]

Let's brainstorm better names for a fast food chicken chain!

I favor "Cluck Cluck Chicken To Be Eaten By Human Persons". It's elegant, attention-grabbing, and accurately conveys exactly what it is. CCC2BE10BHP for short.

Dead Bird

 

[theprestige]

Good Food From Evil People

 

[TragicMonkey]

Good Food From Evil People

Adequate Food From People Of Varying Degrees Of Good And Evil Because Just Working Somewhere Doesn't Make One Responsible For Everything A Company Does.

 

[TragicMonkey]

Dead Bird

We don't guarantee that at CCC2BE10BHP.

 

[Hellbound]

Breasts, Legs, and Thighs for Your Mouth

 

[theprestige]

Adequate Food From People Of Varying Degrees Of Good And Evil Because Just Working Somewhere Doesn't Make One Responsible For Everything A Company Does.

My understanding is that it's not even the company doing it. It's the owners doing it with their private money (which comes in part from the company they own).

 

[DuvalHMFIC]

The folks that came up with the name were from Georgia, let's not overthink the situation.

 

[TragicMonkey]

My understanding is that it's not even the company doing it. It's the owners doing it with their private money (which comes in part from the company they own).

And the people most vocal about CfA = Evil have no trouble shopping at Menards, I've noticed, which gets up to much crazier stuff directly in the company itself.

 

[Babbylonian]

And the people most vocal about CfA = Evil have no trouble shopping at Menards, I've noticed, which gets up to much crazier stuff directly in the company itself.

Never heard of Menards. I did see a Hobby Lobby TV commercial (first one I've ever seen) recently, so apparently people are cool with their nonsense, too.