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How the 10 biggest restaurant chains in America are responding to civil unrest

As protests continue across the country, brands including McDonald’s, Starbucks and Chick-fil-A release supportive statements, donate money and more

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister, Managing Editor

June 5, 2020

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As protests continue across the United States demanding justice following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, restaurant chains this week responded in a variety of ways.

Although some restaurant locations have been damaged during these protests, most chains have posted messages supporting them and the Black Lives Matter movement on Twitter and other social-media platforms throughout the week.

Many restaurant brands also released statements from their leaders, outlining steps the companies are taking to respond to calls for increased diversity, including hosting panels on the topic and making financial donations to related institutions.

Many other companies across foodservice are also taking a stand, such as DoorDash, which in a blog post from CEO Tony Xu pledged to highlight and support black-owned businesses and black entrepreneurs on its platforms, donate $1 million to social justice causes and more. DoorDash also told The Verge that it is “alarmed” by arrests of its delivery workers for violating curfew and is “prepared to provide them with our support.”

Click through our gallery to see how the 10 largest restaurant chains in America, according to NRN’s Top 200 data, are responding to the week’s events.

Related:Restaurant chain CEOs, brands respond to political unrest

Contact Leigh Anne Zinsmeister at leighanne.zinsmeister@informa.com

Follow her on Twitter: @LeighAnneZin

About the Author

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

Managing Editor

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister is a managing editor for Informa’s Foodservices Vertical, specifically Nation’s Restaurant News, Restaurant Hospitality, and Foodservice Director.  Leigh Anne works on all of the brands’ special reports, including Nation’s Restaurant News’ annual Top 500 report and Restaurant Hospitality’s Best Cocktails and Best Sandwiches contests. She also manages the group’s digital engagement team, and was the managing editor for Supermarket News until December 2024.

Leigh Anne lives in New York City, but also claims Phoenix, Dallas and Cleveland as hometowns. Leigh Anne holds a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, where she also studied European history. 

Email Leigh Anne at leighanne.zinsmeister@informa.com 

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister’s experience: 

  • Group Managing Editor, Informa’s Foodservices Vertical (Aug. 2021-present)

  • Group Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (Feb. 2020-Aug. 2021)

  • Digital Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (April 2018-Feb. 2020)

  • Digital Content Producer, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (June 2016-April 2018)

  • Community Moderator, Mail Online (March 2014-June 2016)

  • Wire Editor, Gannett’s Phoenix Design studio (The Arizona Republic, The Reno Gazette-Journal, The Statesman Journal, The Great Falls Tribune, The Visalia Times-Delta, The Tulare Advance Register, The Salinas Californian, The St. George Spectrum, The Desert Sun, The Coloradoan) (Jan. 2012-March 2014)

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