Grill'd burger chain apologises for support of anti-abortion group.

By Kym Agius.

A popular burger chain has apologised for allowing diners in Brisbane to donate to an anti-abortion group.

Each month Grill’d restaurants give $500 to three local charities, encouraging patrons to decide which group gets more of the money by placing a bottle top in a jar.

More than 100 organisations apply each month in Queensland.

This month, the Toowong restaurant chose the Cherish Life association as one of the three groups.

Criticism spilled onto social media, with many perplexed by the chain's conservative approach.

"Hmm. Local @GrilldBurgers has an anti-abortion group as one of its local groups this month. Not what I would have expected from them at all," one critic tweeted.

Founder and managing director of Grill'd Simon Crowe apologised for Cherish Life being selected and said its ideals did not align with Grill'd.

"This time we didn't apply the right vigour or discipline in deciding who gets in," he told 612 ABC Brisbane.

"Unfortunately it's a mistake that we made at our end."

Mr Crowe said although everyone had a right to an opinion on subjects such as abortion, Grill'd was pro-choice.

"We are very much about pro-choice," he said.

"We've removed the jar in question.

"Everyone has a right to have their opinion, but in this instance our opinion is about pro-choice."

Cherish Life state president Teresa Martin said the organisation wanted to use the money to give pins to students to promote education about gestation.

"There is nothing to do with a pro-life, pro-choice issue on the jar," Ms Martin said.

"We believe women deserve real information and real choice so they can make a choice and not just be shepherded down one path.

"I feel like this is an orchestrated campaign by pro-abortion people."

This post originally appeared on the ABC and was republished here with full permission. 

© 2015 Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved. Read the ABC Disclaimer here.