Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day 2012: Supporters to Show Up and Eat

Although clearly not a religious holiday, former Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has openly declared today to be "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day" in homage of the company ""whose executives are willing to take a stand for Godly values."

The conservative politician is encouraging people to celebrate "by simply showing up and eating" at the fast food establishment, according to the Washington Post.

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According to Dan Cathy, president of Chick fil-A, his company has values that are "very much supportive of the family...the biblical definition of the family unit."

Another words, the fast food eatery seems to be opposing gay marriage.

When Cathy first publically spoke of his opposing view on gay marriage, it turned into major news; as his brand apparently slid in approval ratings from 65% to 39%, according a poll by YouGov Brandindex.

While many Christians are slated to show up to the fast food outlet today, the "Gay and Lesbian Alliance against Defamation" is reported to be staging kiss-ins directly in front of the stores.

Cathy oversees one of the country's most successful businesses. As President and Chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, Cathy leads a business with 1,608 restaurants that had sales of more than $4 billion dollars last year, according to Baptist Press.

In 1967, Cathy's father S. Truett Cathy opened the first Chick-fil-A restaurant in Atlanta. Today, Chick-fil-A is the second largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain in the United States based on annual system-wide sales.

Chick-fil-A has more than 1,600 restaurants in 39 states and Washington, D.C. and will open 77 stand-alone restaurants and 15 licensee locations in 2012, according to their website.