Chick-Fil-A Coming To New York Thruway Rest Stops? Not So Fast
Some New York lawmakers are voicing their disapproval with Chick-Fil-A possibly coming to a thruway rest stop near you.
And it comes down to the company's history of supporting anti-LGBTQ groups. According to a story from lohud, several New York Lawmakers want to drop Chick-Fil-A from the list of new restaurants set to populate renovated Thruway rest stops "...citing the fast-food chain’s history of donations to anti-LGBTQ organizations." These lawmakers have already reached out via a letter to the Thruway Authority to voice their disapproval saying Chick-Fil-A's inclusion in the $300 million renovation plan goes against New York state's longstanding support of the LGBTQ+ community. Chick-Fil-A did respond to this piece from lohud (which is affiliated with USA Today), saying "We want to be clear that Chick-fil-A does not have a political or social agenda, and we welcome everyone in our restaurants."
Ultimately, the decision of what restaurants end up at the rest stops may not be up to the Thruway Authority. Lohud says the state recently agreed to a lease with Empire State Thruway Partners who will essentially rent out the 27 Thruway rest stops for the next 30 years. They will be paying for their renovation and overseeing operations, without any support from state tax or toll funds.
According to News 10, the first phase of construction is set to begin later this month on July 29th and the other restaurants that are set to go in these rest areas include Panera, Popeye's, Shake Shack, and many more. What restaurants will be located at each rest stop has not been announced yet.
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