Chick-fil-A taps Navigator to lobby officials
Aims to foster long-term relationships with key decision makers
That chicken sandwich will come with a side order of spin.
Chick-fil-A, a U.S. chicken restaurant chain whose president has spoken out publicly against gay marriage, has hired communications firm Navigator to lobby provincial and city government officials, amid angry protests surrounding the opening of the chain’s first major Canadian restaurant in Toronto last week. They’ve also hired the local office of a New York-based company Group SJR to handle public relations.
Neither Chick-fil-A nor Navigator would comment on details of the contract, but official documents filed with the provincial lobbyists’ registry show the company has been hired to lobby Vic Fedeli, the Ontario minister of economic development, job creation and trade, as well as Labour Minister Monte McNaughton.
“To ensure a smooth launch, we want to facilitate open dialogue and foster long-term relationships with key decision makers in areas of interest to their
operations,” said the entry in the lobbyists’ registry maintained with the provincial Office of the Integrity Commissioner.
Chick-fil-A has also hired Navigator to lobby city government officials about economic development, according to Toronto’s Office of the Lobbyist Registrar.
“As a matter of course, it is Navigator’s policy not to discuss our client engagements,” said Navigator spokesperson John Fenton.
Navigator is a firm best known for its work in crisis communications for high-profile clients such as former provincial attorney general Michael Bryant and ex-CBC host Jian Ghomeshi.
Hiring lobbyists suggests Chick-fil-A knew it would be facing a backlash as it expanded into Canada’s biggest city, said David Kincaid, CEO of Level 5 Brand Advisors. With the company planning more restaurants in the GTA, it didn’t want anything to keep the first store from getting off the ground smoothly.
Hundreds of angry protesters holding signs telling Chick-fil-A to “cluck off” surrounded the store at its grand opening last week. Counterprotesters, including right-wing activist and evangelical preacher Charles McVety, showed up to support the company.
That kind of uproar can’t be ignored, especially when entering a new market, Kincaid said.
How much of a foothold they gain here will depend on whether they’re willing to adapt to a cosmopolitan city like Toronto, said Darrell Schuurman, CEO of the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
“What sort of efforts are they making? Not just statements, but what steps are they taking? Canadians care about diversity and inclusion,” said Schuurman, adding that the LGBTQ community is a significant consumer block.
“It’s not just people who are directly part of the LGBTQ community. It’s their networks, their family, their friends. That’s a lot of people.”