Despite taking near-constant potshots from the far left over the Christian faith of its founder, Chick-fil-A has carved out a perennial position among America’s most popular fast food restaurants. That’s why so many social media users were upset recently when they saw reports that the chain might be making a widely unpopular change to its locations. When a Reddit thread brought attention to one restaurant’s use of paper straws, rumors began to spread that Chick-fil-A had been considering getting rid of plastic straws nationwide. The backlash grew to the point that the company issued a statement clarifying the matter, as the Western Journal reported: A Chick-fil-A spokesperson told Fox News Digital this week that “Chick-fil-A is not transitioning its restaurants nationwide to the use of paper straws.” “Chick-fil-A abides by local regulation in the communities we serve, so some locations may carry paper straws where required,” the spokesperson said. The post did, however, gain traction and reportedly received hundreds of comments, kicking off a debate about plastic versus paper straws. “It depends on where you live,” one user chimed in. Businesses that have switched to paper straws in the past have drawn the ire of even environmentalists who find the eco-friendly alternatives all but useless: Paper straws are such an incredible let-down, and frankly they simply don’t work. I am reminded of how impressive plastic is and how transformative plastic consumer products must have been when first introduced every time I end up in a situation like this. pic.twitter.com/k7r6SntHj2 — Star Simpson (@starsandrobots) July 17, 2022 paper straws are great for when you want paper straw to be one of the ingredients in your drink — riley (@carameloatmilk) June 27, 2025 whoever normalised paper straws please know i hate you — stephiemaxxing (@bcthenas) June 27, 2025 Fox News also covered some of the social media posts about paper straws, and Chick-fil-A in particular, over the past several days: “I consider myself a leftist, but I’ll be damned if I ever give up plastic straws. Lol paper is the worst,” joked one user. Another Redditor wrote, “My location in Atlanta, Georgia, still has styrofoam and plastic straws. It’s not good for the environment but great for my drinks.” Yet another person claimed, “It’s local regulations. We aren’t even supposed to give straws, utensils or salad condiments without the guest requesting them.” One customer said, “Oh, no, this makes me sad. I’ll carry straws in my car if that happens. I get it, but it sucks.” President Donald Trump has even weighed in on the paper straw debate as part of his second-term agenda: What’s your take?