Algonquin Hobby Lobby Opens Quietly

While suddenly controversial sandwich seller Chik-Fil-A opened its new store in Crystal Lake Thursday to considerable media attention, the newest unit of another high Christian profile chain had already been open a day in Algonquin without comment.  "We were going to open Friday but we finished early so we opened the doors (Wednesday) to see what would happen," said Hobby Lobby store Manager Randy Hundley.

What happened was, "We had, I don't know, 60 to 75 people and that was starting from Noon," said Hundley.  "Thursday there were more.  Today has been very good."

Algonquin's Hobby Lobby is the newest in the 515-store privately held Oklahoma City chain which, like Chick-Fil-A stores, closes on Sundays.  "(CEO) David Green says people need one day with their families," said Hundley.  "I'm all for that."

Green is another publicly Christian CEO like Chick Fil A's Dan T. Cathy and Interstate Batteries' Norm Miller but, unlike Cathy, he hasn't said anything lately that someone regards as politically incorrect. Even so his company had to issue a statement Sunday that "Hobby Lobby does not discriminate with regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, sexual preference or any other basis protected by state or federal law."

Two years ago Green and his wife promised to give most of their estimated $2 billion net worth to charity and philanthropic causes. "For me and my family, charity equals ministry, which equals the Gospel of Jesus Christ," Green said at the time.