Chick-fil-A event brings holiday-like traffic to shopping center

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - It wasn’t a “Christmas in August” promotion but the traffic into the Jefferson Pointe shopping center Wednesday compared to what has been calculated on busy holiday shopping days.

According to management, the property around Jefferson Pointe saw a 189 percent increase in vehicle traffic during “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day.”   Sensors built into each of the shopping center’s entrances track vehicles coming and going.

Though not all numbers are in, profits at area businesses likely increased as a result of the crowds.

“People not only stopped to get lunch but they also took a little more time out to actually walk the center,” Jefferson Pointe marketing manager, Katrina Newman said.

The director of Fort Wayne Pride , Nikki Fultz, expressed disappointment that positive spikes in business came at the expense of the LGBT community.

“I think we’re showing that the U.S. is not truly equal,” Fultz said. “I think that’s kind of the scary thing for most LGBT Americans; we’re looking at it as an attack on our families. ”

Some gay and lesbian groups have planned a protest for Friday in response.  An event called “Kiss Mor Chiks” has asked same-sex couples to show up at Chick-fil-A locations and kiss each other.

Fultz said Fort Wayne Pride is not encouraging people to participate in the protest.

“I’ve learned over the years that no matter how much you try to talk to somebody, you can’t always reason with them. So, I think it’s more important, instead, to go out and support pro-gay groups,” Fultz said.

Chick-fil-A has not released its business totals from Wednesday.