[by Dean Smith] Chick-fil-A was just awarded the top fast food franchise in America. It topped a list compiled each year by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). This was the first year, they included Chick-fil-A in the survey.

It not only topped the list but according to ACSI with a rating of 86, the chain received the highest score ever given to a restaurant in the fast food category. ASCI determined the index after a survey of 5,000 people.

The top five fast food chains were in this order.

1. Chick-fil-A
2. Chipotle
3. Panera
4. Dunkin’ Donuts
5. Pizza Hut

Meanwhile iconic fast food chains such as McDonald’s and Burger King were at the bottom of the list.

S. Truett Cathy (1921-2014) founded the popular Southern-based chicken franchise. A Baptist, who called the Bible his guide-book for life, Truett taught Sunday School for 50 years. After serving with the US army during World War II, in 1946 Cathy started a restaurant in Atlanta that eventually led to the chain.

Cathy even instituted a policy of having Chick-fil-A restaurants close on Sundays that allows its 61,000+ workers to go to church if they want.

In 2012, Chick-fil-A found itself in the sights of homosexual activists because its Chief Operating Officer Dan Cathy came out publicly in support of traditional marriage.

In an interview with the Biblical Recorder on July 2 of that year, Cathy said:

“We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that. … We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that,”

“We intend to stay the course. We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles.”

Cathy added that Chick-fil-A is not a Christian business, because Christ never died for a corporation but for people. Instead, it is a business run by Christians and based its success on implementation of Christian principles.

As well, the family run WinShape Foundation provided financial support to political organizations opposed to same-sex marriage.

Gay activists organized rallies outside Chick-fil-A restaurants calling for a boycott. Meanwhile those in favor of traditional marriage rallied in support of Chick-fil-A. During the boycott period sales at many locations actually increased. In 2012 overall sales increased 12%.

Because of the backlash, the corporation has since pulled back from its public support of traditional marriage, but refuses to endorse same-sex marriage as many businesses have done.