A US owned fast-food company, Chick-fil-A is set to close trading at its first UK outlet following a fallout over donations to anti-LGBT groups.
Gay rights campaigners called for a boycott of Chick-fil-A, which opened its first branch at The Oracle shopping centre in Reading on 10 October.
The company had donated millions of dollars to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Paul Anderson Youth Home and the Salvation Army, stating that its donations were purely focused on youth and education.
Campaigners from LGBT organisation, Reading Pride, said all three organisations have a reputation of being hostile to LGBT rights.
The Oracle said: “We always look to introduce new concepts for our customers; however, we have decided on this occasion that the right thing to do is to only allow Chick-Fil-A to trade with us for the initial six-month pilot period, and not to extend the lease any further.”
Reading Pride said The Oracle’s decision was “good news”, adding the six-month period was a “reasonable request… to allow for re-settlement and notice for employees that have moved from other jobs”.
But the organisation said it would continue to campaign against the outlet until it left.
Chick-fil-A had previously told the BBC: “Our giving has always focused on youth and education. We have never donated with the purpose of supporting a social or political agenda.
“There are 145,000 people – black, white; gay, straight; Christian, non-Christian – who represent Chick-fil-A.”
