Chick-fil-A responds after criticism over tweet appearing to reference Black customers

Fast food chain says tweeting ‘your community’ to a Black customer was ‘poor choice of words’

Chick-fil-A was criticised over a tweet apparently referencing Black customers (Getty Images)

Chick-fil-A was forced to fend off accusations on social media that it had racially profiled a Black customer on Twitter.

The fast food chain said in a statement it lamented its “poor choice of words” over a reply to a customer asking about spicy food.

A user tweeted at the chicken restaurant on Friday, asking: “Grilled spicy deluxe but still noooo spicy nuggets…………@ChickfilA.”

The chain’s official Twitter account replied to say: “Your community will be the first to know if spicy items are added to the permanent menu, Don!”

Your community will be the first to know if spicy items are added to the permanent menu, Don!

— Chick-fil-A, Inc. (@ChickfilA) September 9, 2022

NBC News reported that the first tweet only attracted a handful of replies, while Chick-fil-A’s response quickly went viral and was retweeted thousands of times.

“Explain yourself – quickly,” one user wrote.

“Oh we going to Popeyes tonight,” another said.

Others pointed out that Chick-fil-A’s Twitter account often replied to tweets using the term “your community”.

“Community as in area. See their previous tweets from at least a week ago.”

Community as in area. See their previous tweets from at least a week ago pic.twitter.com/BqttnkvG1O

— Mgzdailydoses (@mgzdailydoses) September 10, 2022

In a statement to NBC News, a Chick-fil-A spokesperson said: “The response was a poor choice of words but was not intended in any way to be insensitive or disrespectful.

“We often use the term ‘community’ in a broader sense to talk about places where we operate restaurants and serve the surrounding community.”