The first Chick-fil-A restaurant in London has been met with a wave of controversy over the Christian views of its US chain owners.
LGBT+ activist Peter Tatchell led a protest outside the new Kingston branch, claiming that “consumers should boycott Chick-fil-A” over “campaigns that oppose LGBT+ human rights”.
The fast-food restaurant is the second of its kind in England, after a Leeds branch opened in October 2025.
The famously Christian-founded brand is known for closing US franchises on Sundays. Chick-fil-A’s faith links have also led to controversy over its UK debut, with an attempt to open in Reading in 2019 shut down after allegations of anti-LGBT sentiment.
Its original founder, Truett Cathy, was a Baptist Christian who also founded the WinShape Foundation.
The foundation has previously received backlash for donating to the National Christian Foundation, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and the Salvation Army, which some LGBT+ activists say have expressed homophobic views.
Chick-fil-A has since confirmed it focuses on giving to “education, homelessness, and hunger”.
Tatchell claimed that he has not received assurances from the chain about its policy on charity donations.
“Chick-fil-A’s funding of bigotry is out of step with British values,” he insisted. “There should be no place in the U.K. for a business that uses its profits to fund prejudice.”
The restaurant has stated that its founding call is "to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us” and “to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A".