New Yorkers Aren't Happy About Chick-Fil-A Replacing McDonald's At Rest Stops
Although Chick-fil-A may have maintained the title of America's Favorite Restaurant for eight years straight, not everyone is as thrilled about the restaurant expanding nationwide. New Yorkers are particularly frustrated with the chain, especially in regard to its replacing the McDonald's at several rest stops between NYC, Buffalo, and Albany.
In late December 2022, New York's Thruway Authority announced that it would be redeveloping 11 rest stops, and as part of the project, would be ending its contracts with McDonald's at the start of 2023. Following McDonald's departure, the rest stops would sign new contracts with different fast food chains, one being Chick-fil-A.
Don't get us wrong, it's not the Chick-fil-A waffle fries or chicken nuggets that New Yorkers have a problem with. Instead, they're upset about the fact that Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays, which is a high-traffic day for rest stops. This leaves travelers with the options of Starbucks, Burger King, or Shake Shack, depending on location.
Chick-fil-A doesn't quite meet New York's rest stop needs
When New Yorkers first caught wind of the Thruway Authority's plans to replace McDonald's with Chick-fil-A, many wondered if the latter would be open on Sundays to serve travelers. However, in a statement to Your Stories, the Thruway Authority said that Chick-fil-A's Sunday closures are "a brand requirement," and as such, even rest stop Chick-fil-A locations would not be open on Sundays.
That being said, this isn't the only issue people have had with Chick-fil-A taking up residence at New York rest stops. When the Thruway Authority first announced the renovation of 27 rest stops in 2021, lawmakers fought to have Chick-fil-A actually banned from New York due to its history of donating to anti-LGBTQ+ groups, being accused of anti-Asian racism, and, in general, participating in alleged discrimination.
Obviously, the Thruway Authority did not back down in its decision to sign a contract with the chain, as it continued with its plan to replace McDonald's with Chick-fil-A at more than four separate rest stops, but we have no doubts that New Yorkers will call out anything that needs calling out.