Calgary Openings, Closings, and Developments

[CliffFletcher]

The reason a lot of people defended Sunday closures wasn’t because of religion. It was because it gave people in the service industry a day off to spend time with friends and family who also had the day off. It’s the same reason for closing businesses on stat holidays.

Ending Sunday closures was a win for the market and neoliberalism. Not so much for social bonds and community.

[Nufy]

Need a "Raising Kane" place next.

Give us all the chicken finger joints !!!!

[Ozy_Flame]

The reason a lot of people defended Sunday closures wasn’t because of religion. It was because it gave people in the service industry a day off to spend time with friends and family who also had the day off. It’s the same reason for closing businesses on stat holidays.

Ending Sunday closures was a win for the market and neoliberalism. Not so much for social bonds and community.

Except that's not Chik-Fil-A's story. Literally from S. Truett Cathy, the founder, by way of his own book (and phrased through this article from Today.com:

“We were not so committed to financial success, however, that we were willing to abandon our principles and priorities. One of the most visible examples of this was our decision to close on Sundays.(My brother) Ben and I had attended Sunday school and church all our lives, and we were not about to stop just because we owned a restaurant,” he wrote.

Cathy continued by describing the decision to close on Sundays as a way of “honoring God and directing our attention to things more important than our business.”

In his book, Cathy outlined his goal to maintain this practice.

“My brother Ben and I closed our first restaurant on the first Sunday after we opened in 1946, and my children have committed to closing our restaurants on Sundays long after I’m gone. I believe God honors our decision and sets before us unexpected opportunities to do greater work for Him because of our loyalty,” he wrote.

In 2007, Cathy spoke with Reuters about the tradition and said his children vowed to keep the restaurant closed on Sundays when he died.

“I have a commitment from my three children that they will keep it private,” he said at the time. “And that we’ll always close on Sunday.”

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

The reason a lot of people defended Sunday closures wasn’t because of religion. It was because it gave people in the service industry a day off to spend time with friends and family who also had the day off. It’s the same reason for closing businesses on stat holidays.

Ending Sunday closures was a win for the market and neoliberalism. Not so much for social bonds and community.

How? Was it a paid day off? Cause I don’t see people working a low wage job taking a day off to go to church when they need money.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Wormius

How? Was it a paid day off? Cause I don’t see people working a low wage job taking a day off to go to church when they need money.

I’m assuming you’re too young to remember Sunday closures.

It wasn’t a day off. Most stores just weren’t open on Sundays. In the same way stores aren’t open from 10 pm to 6 am. Or offices aren’t open on Sundays. So when you worked in retail, you made up your hours in the other six days of the week.

And most people didn’t go to church. They did the same stuff everyone else who has weekends off do. But they could do it together with their friends and families.

[greyshep]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

I guess you don't know why Chik-Fil-A is closed on Sunday.

It's literally so people can attend church services.

This is right on their own corporate website:

Chick-fil-A’s Corporate Purpose is “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come into contact with Chick-fil-A."

They've had this policy in place since 1946. They've since padded it with diplomatic context about spending time with family, DEI, and other more moderate tones, as society has shifted that way. But they pissed off conservatives along the way, especially as their former CEO Dan Cathy was a right-wing nutjob, particularly demonizing LGBTQ rights and they've since become 'woke' in their eyes.

But before that, and most of this time, it was never about labor rights. It was, and still is to some extent, about services to God, of which your Sunday is work by another means.

I am aware but don't really care either way. If a business decides to close on a Saturday because they are a supporter of another religion I mean go ahead go nuts your loss either way. I will say I would prefer a weekend day off rather than a midweek day.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Is it, though? What about people who would rather work on a Sunday? Not everyone values it as some special day because it says so in an old book. Maybe they prefer Sunday work because traffic is slow, and they'd prefer a week day off to go skiing or something wen it isn't busy. If every business was closed Sundays, that's 1/7th less employment available. Is that a win?





https://www.researchgate.net/publica...etail_Industry

I think they'd prefer Sundays because most staff in that industry ends up as part time workers who can't get enough hours to survive on as it is.

[Table 5]

Christians have Sundays, Jews have Saturday, Muslims have Fridays....having a day off for prayer or rest is common to many religions. Not sure why this is all of a sudden such a big deal (although funny how it's only a big deal for one of them).

In the end, Chick Fil A is a private business... and just like a Jewish Deli or Halal restaurant, as long as they adhere to legal policies, are free to operate according to the rules and beliefs as they see fit, to the benefit and/or detriment of their business. Just like you aren't forced to adjust to any of their rules of conduct in life, they shouldn't have to adjust to yours. In the end there's a pretty easy solution if you don't agree with the beliefs and customs of any of these places... just eat (or work!) somewhere else.

[Ozy_Flame]

Of course they are. But lets not pretend Chick-Fil-A was about labour rights for giving Sundays off. That's a bad faith argument to make.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Of course they are. But lets not pretend Chick-Fil-A was about labour rights for giving Sundays off. That's a bad faith argument to make.

I don't disagree... labour rights is not the primary reason it's closed.

But then why did you bring up the Sunday thing in the first place?

[Ozy_Flame]

Because if you try and go on Sunday to enjoy their fried chicken it will be closed.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Because if you try and go on Sunday to enjoy their fried chicken it will be closed.

How considerate of you to let everyone know.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Table 5

How considerate of you to let everyone know.

You're welcome, considering most other fast food fried chicken joints in Calgary are open on Sundays.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I’m assuming you’re too young to remember Sunday closures.

It wasn’t a day off. Most stores just weren’t open on Sundays. In the same way stores aren’t open from 10 pm to 6 am. Or offices aren’t open on Sundays. So when you worked in retail, you made up your hours in the other six days of the week.

And most people didn’t go to church. They did the same stuff everyone else who has weekends off do. But they could do it together with their friends and families.

CFA Mandating an unpaid day off isn’t desirable for low wage earners. At best they’re picking up another shift somewhere else, but I doubt they’re using it for anything else. Now maybe if CFA paid a living wage and gives their employees full -time hours, then maybe they’re enjoying the finer things in life on their Sunday off. Harkening back to the good old days when everything was closed on Sunday is not what anybody asked for or wants.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

You're welcome, considering most other fast food fried chicken joints in Calgary are open on Sundays.

Great, then plenty of other options to chose from!

[Johnny Makarov]

Are their chicken sandwiches even that good? The one i had at YYC was pretty average. The waffle fries were good though...

[Muta]

I had Chik-Fil-A at the airport when it was there. I thought it was incredibly mediocre.

[Table 5]

I mean it's all relative. It's not fried chicken cooked by a Southern grandma... but as far as fast food chicken goes, I personally like it better than most alternatives. I find that generally their locations are also clean, with friendly and attentive staff. Your experience may vary.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Wormius

CFA Mandating an unpaid day off isn’t desirable for low wage earners. At best they’re picking up another shift somewhere else, but I doubt they’re using it for anything else. Now maybe if CFA paid a living wage and gives their employees full -time hours, then maybe they’re enjoying the finer things in life on their Sunday off. Harkening back to the good old days when everything was closed on Sunday is not what anybody asked for or wants.

I should have quoted the comment I was responding to.

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Is it, though? What about people who would rather work on a Sunday? Not everyone values it as some special day because it says so in an old book.

As someone old enough to remember when stores were closed on Sunday, it didn’t have much to do with religion. Labour groups strongly opposed Sunday openings. For instance, in 1990 Bob Rae’s NDP campaigned on cracking down harder on businesses that were defying Sunday closures, and they won a majority.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Christians have Sundays, Jews have Saturday, Muslims have Fridays....having a day off for prayer or rest is common to many religions. Not sure why this is all of a sudden such a big deal (although funny how it's only a big deal for one of them).

In the end, Chick Fil A is a private business... and just like a Jewish Deli or Halal restaurant, as long as they adhere to legal policies, are free to operate according to the rules and beliefs as they see fit, to the benefit and/or detriment of their business. Just like you aren't forced to adjust to any of their rules of conduct in life, they shouldn't have to adjust to yours. In the end there's a pretty easy solution if you don't agree with the beliefs and customs of any of these places... just eat (or work!) somewhere else.

When I worked in a Cadillac-Fairview building in the 90s, I was surprised to learn that the building maintenance guys - none of whom were Jewish - had to comply with dietary restrictions if they were onsite during Passover.