Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey faced online backlash Saturday when he tweeted a picture of a purchase he made at a Chick-fil-A in Los Angeles. Detractors criticized Dorsey for promoting the Atlanta-based fast food company during LGBT Pride month due to the views expressed by Chick-fil-A's owner regarding gay marriage.

Dorsey tweeted a screenshot of a purchase made on his phone Saturday evening, and the Twitter co-founder received a multitude of negative replies, criticizing Dorsey for both eating at the restaurant and for promoting the business.

Chick-fil-A's CEO, Dan Cathy, said in 2012 Chick-fil-A believed marriage to be between a man and a woman, citing the family's Christian beliefs. Cathy's father, Truett Cathy, opened the first Chick-fil-A in Atlanta in 1967.

Chick-fil-A did not immediately respond to a request by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for comment.

Other Twitter users came to the defense of Dorsey and Chick-fil-A, saying there was nothing wrong with eating at the fast food restaurant.

Dorsey appeared to express regret for the decision Saturday, responding to a reply to his original tweet, saying he “completely forgot about (Chick-fil-A’s) background.”

Chick-fil-A, which has 2,100 total locations, made nearly $8 billion in total revenue in 2016. The company averaged $4.4 million of revenue per location in 2016, the highest average sales per unit of an American fast food restaurant, according to QSR Magazine.

About the Author

Featured

In 2022, Georgia Power projected its winter peak electricity demand would grow by about 400 megawatts by 2031. Since then, Georgia has experienced a boom of data centers, which require a large load of electricty to run, and Georgia Power's recent forecast shows peak demand growing by 20 times the 400-megawatt estimate from just three years ago. (Illustration by Philip Robibero/AJC)

Credit: Illustration: Philip Robibero / AJC