Will Chick-fil-A feel the impact? Proposed bill aims for 7-day operation at Thruway restaurants
Have you stopped at a New York State Thruway rest area on a Sunday to grab a bite to eat only to realize Chick-fil-A is closed? A new bill headed to the New York State Assembly aims to ensure travelers have options every day of the week.
Sponsored by Assemblymember Tony Simone, who represents the 75th District, the legislation would require future food service establishments at transportation facilities and rest areas owned by the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA) and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to remain open seven days a week.
"While there is nothing objectionable about a fast food restaurant closing on a particular day of the week, service areas dedicated to travelers is an inappropriate location for such a restaurant," the bill reads. "Allowing for retail space to go unused one seventh of the week or more is a disservice and unnecessary inconvenience to travelers who rely on these service areas."
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Would bill require all Thruway Chick-fil-As to open on Sundays?
No, at least not for now.
The change would require any future contracts entered into by the NYSTA for the operation of food services at public transportation facilities to provide services every day of the week, ensuring the state's transportation facilities are offering "a reliable source of food services."
Specifically mentioned in the bill is the NYSTA's current Service Area Redesign and Redevelopment project and its choice to bring Chick-fil-A restaurants to some service areas along the Thruway. Chick-fil-A, due to company policy, is closed on Sundays.
The bill would only apply to future food-service agreements at Thruway service areas. That means it wouldn't require the Chick-fil-A locations currently open or slated to open as part of the ongoing service area redesign project to operate on Sundays.
The restaurant chain has so far opened locations at six Thruway service areas — Ardsley, Plattekill, New Baltimore, Iroquois, Chittenango and Clifton Springs. A seventh location is planned for the Sloatsburg service area, which is currently under construction.
"As part of the new 33-year contract to manage these facilities, Applegreen is required to have at least one hot and cold food option available 24 hours a day at all locations," says New York State Thruway Authority spokesperson Jennifer Givner.
"When the project is complete, Chick-fil-A will operate in less than half of the service areas on the Thruway — all of which have at least one other food concept and a convenience store open seven days a week with up to three additional concepts and a convenience store at the largest and highest volume locations."
Didn't Chick-fil-A on Thruway face pushback in the past?
This isn't the first time the choice of Chick-fil-A as a service area food option has been questioned.
The July 2021 announcement of the restaurant's addition to a handful of rest stops along the Thruway ignited pushback from several Democratic state lawmakers due to the company's history of giving to anti-LGBT causes.
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What happens now?
The legislation, if signed into law, would ensure all future contracts for food concessions at transportation facilities owned by the NYSTA and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey be required to operate seven days a week.
Temporary concessions such as farmers markets or local venders are excluded.
The Port Authority portion of the bill would only take effect if New Jersey also passed an act with an identical effect.
Emily Barnes is the New York State Team consumer advocate reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Barnes at ebarnes@gannett.com or on Twitter @byemilybarnes.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Would Chick-fil-A be required to open on Sundays under new bill?
