Victory: Chili’s Cancels Planned Parenthood Fundraiser After Major Backlash

In a story that blew up in pro-life media yesterday, including here at RedState, it was reported that Chili’s was planning to donate portions of its profits to Planned Parenthood in Indiana and Kentucky.

However, there was major, critical backlash that led the Chili’s corporate office to step in. LifeNews.com received an official statement from the restaurant chain.

“At Chili’s, we have a longstanding history and take pride in giving back to unite our local communities together. We recognize every community is unique, and encourage our restaurant managers and franchise partners to support causes that help bring communities together and leave a positive impact on our valued Guests, neighbors, friends and families we serve,” Chili’s Grill & Bar told LifeNews.

“Yesterday, we learned that an independent franchise partner of Chili’s in Indiana and Kentucky made the decision to host a Chili’s Give Back Event on behalf of Planned Parenthood Indiana and Kentucky. While our franchise partner had the best intentions; we have received growing feedback and concern from community members regarding the Give Back Event,” the restaurant chain continued. “This feedback does not reflect Chili’s focus on bringing communities together and the event was never intended to be viewed as a partisan event or political statement, therefore we, along with our franchise partner, have decided to cancel the event. ”

“We will more clearly communicate the focus of Chili’s charitable giving efforts, so that our restaurant managers and franchise partners can feel empowered to support local organizations that bring communities together,” Chili’s added.

That is particularly good news on two levels. The first, that this was not a corporate decision, but the decision of some franchise owners. As such, the corporate folks realized that it’s probably not wise to alienate a huge chunk of your customer base with political hot potatoes. The second is that I can go to my local Chili’s again (their Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers are phenomenal).

Good job to Chili’s for making the right choice here.

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