Best resturants to have in service plazas?

[hotdogPi]

I've noticed Monday has become a large plurality of restaurants taking a day off, because they started to realize Sunday is often a big money day with church families and general activity of people not working.

Never look for a pizza or a haircut on a Monday.  It's a tradition that most Italian restaurants and barber shops are closed on Mondays.

Here, it seems to be the Asian restaurants, not the Italian ones, that are closed Mondays.

[Scott5114]

Before it went online-only, our game night was Tuesday (because we were all casino employees who had Tuesday off because Tuesday is slow), and we had occasional problems with restaurants not being open Tuesday.

[kphoger]

But it's extremely easy to find businesses whose views align 95% or 98% with yours. All-or-nothing, black-and-white, binary thinking doesn't work for me.

Back into the weeds we go...

Actually, I don't think it's easy to find businesses whose views align 95% or 98% with mine.  I mean, unless you're researching all of the business practices and charitable contributions and corporate alliances and PR campaigns etc, for every business you might potentially frequent–then your basis of comparison is really shaky.

When it comes to 99% of the businesses I frequent, I really have no idea how much their views (whatever that even means) align with mine.  If I hear something about a corporation on the news, in fact, I can be pretty sure I'm only getting a small slice of a view into that corporation's "views".  I can be pretty sure that the news outlet is focusing in on just one aspect, which means I'm still in the dark about all the other aspects.

Restaurants bidding for a freeway service area berth should be contractually obliged to be open whenever the road's open, though.

I don't agree that it should necessarily be part of the contract, but rather that being closed for a whole day would make it quite unattractive as a candidate in the running.

Similarly, a restaurant being closed between 1 and 5 AM shouldn't be a deal breaker.  In fact, I can see reasons a service plaza might actually prefer that (such as getting a bit of a break from janitorial duties).

I don't mind businesses working a 6-day-a-week schedule, but the day they're closed shouldn't all be the same day of the week. Some of us don't have a 9-to-5 Monday-to-Friday schedule, so someone needs to be open on Sunday (and then they can take Monday or Thursday or something off).

I think a more fundamental problem I have is when service industry businesses keep "regular business hours".  As in, I shouldn't have to take off work early or go in late in order to get to the bank before it closes.

[Rushmeister]

Q: Best restaurants to have in service plazas? (select all that apply)

A: Howard Johnson's
B: Sambo's
C: Burger Chef
D: Lum's

[kalvado]

Also, most roads with service plazas probably don't have a ton of commuter traffic. Most Thruway service plazas, for example, are in rural areas where the traffic is almost all long-distance. I can't think of very many that heavy commuter traffic would drive past except maybe Seneca and perhaps a few of the downstate ones.

Guilderland is between exits 25 and 24, with lots of Schenectady to Albany commute passing by.  I don't believe a lot of commuting traffic is stopping there. Few times I stopped myself was for gift shop as there are few other places with local souvenirs in Albany, and sometimes you just need local gifts

At some point @Rothman was flirting with idea of reduced gas tax on toll roads. That would quickly become a deal breaker, but will never happen.

[Rothman]

Q: Best restaurants to have in service plazas? (select all that apply)

A: Howard Johnson's
B: Sambo's
C: Burger Chef
D: Lum's

Ha!  Well-played.

[JayhawkCO]

But it's extremely easy to find businesses whose views align 95% or 98% with yours. All-or-nothing, black-and-white, binary thinking doesn't work for me.

Back into the weeds we go...

Actually, I don't think it's easy to find businesses whose views align 95% or 98% with mine.  I mean, unless you're researching all of the business practices and charitable contributions and corporate alliances and PR campaigns etc, for every business you might potentially frequent–then your basis of comparison is really shaky.

When it comes to 99% of the businesses I frequent, I really have no idea how much their views (whatever that even means) align with mine.  If I hear something about a corporation on the news, in fact, I can be pretty sure I'm only getting a small slice of a view into that corporation's "views".  I can be pretty sure that the news outlet is focusing in on just one aspect, which means I'm still in the dark about all the other aspects.

What if you find out a company is owned by Klan members? Would you still frequent it?

[kphoger]

What if you find out a company is owned by Klan members? Would you still frequent it?

Boy, that gets right at the heart of the matter, doesn't it?  In theory, I'd like to say that I could still distinguish between the actions of a business owner and those of the business he owns.  But I'm not sure I could do that in such an egregious case.  So my answer would likely be No.  On the other hand, what if the business in question were the only grocery store in town?  Or what if he owned the strip-mall that my children's dentist was located in?  That would be a tougher decision to make.

But let's get back out of the weeds here, shall we?



Has anyone mentioned sub sandwiches?  They're one of my favorite things to eat while on a road trip, because they don't seem to make me as sleepy an hour later (compared to something greasier like a cheeseburger).

[JayhawkCO]

Has anyone mentioned sub sandwiches?  They're one of my favorite things to eat while on a road trip, because they don't seem to make me as sleepy an hour later (compared to something greasier like a cheeseburger).

Depending on the sandwich, they can be hard to eat while driving. I tend to have the opinion that things at a service plaza should be easy to eat without making too much of a mess. I know some people stop and dine in, but I think the drive-thru should be the primary impetus of deciding which restaurants are there.

[kphoger]

Has anyone mentioned sub sandwiches?  They're one of my favorite things to eat while on a road trip, because they don't seem to make me as sleepy an hour later (compared to something greasier like a cheeseburger).

Depending on the sandwich, they can be hard to eat while driving. I tend to have the opinion that things at a service plaza should be easy to eat without making too much of a mess. I know some people stop and dine in, but I think the drive-thru should be the primary impetus of deciding which restaurants are there.

Even though I don't care all that much for Subway, it's mostly the bread I don't like.  So getting it as a wrap solves both problems:  the sandwich is more enjoyable, and it's easier to eat while driving.

[abefroman329]

Has anyone mentioned sub sandwiches?  They're one of my favorite things to eat while on a road trip, because they don't seem to make me as sleepy an hour later (compared to something greasier like a cheeseburger).

Depending on the sandwich, they can be hard to eat while driving. I tend to have the opinion that things at a service plaza should be easy to eat without making too much of a mess. I know some people stop and dine in, but I think the drive-thru should be the primary impetus of deciding which restaurants are there.

Even though I don't care all that much for Subway, it's mostly the bread I don't like.  So getting it as a wrap solves both problems:  the sandwich is more enjoyable, and it's easier to eat while driving.

Believe it or not, the new bread is much better than the old bread, and it's actually been fresh the last few times I've gotten it.

[SectorZ]

But it's extremely easy to find businesses whose views align 95% or 98% with yours. All-or-nothing, black-and-white, binary thinking doesn't work for me.

Back into the weeds we go...

Actually, I don't think it's easy to find businesses whose views align 95% or 98% with mine.  I mean, unless you're researching all of the business practices and charitable contributions and corporate alliances and PR campaigns etc, for every business you might potentially frequent–then your basis of comparison is really shaky.

When it comes to 99% of the businesses I frequent, I really have no idea how much their views (whatever that even means) align with mine.  If I hear something about a corporation on the news, in fact, I can be pretty sure I'm only getting a small slice of a view into that corporation's "views".  I can be pretty sure that the news outlet is focusing in on just one aspect, which means I'm still in the dark about all the other aspects.

What if you find out a company is owned by Klan members? Would you still frequent it?

First time I saw a Sheetz I thought it was code for such a thing.

[hbelkins]

Are CFA locations all corporately owned, or are they franchised?

Someone upthread made a comment about McDonald's not being clean. McDonald's is heavily franchised, and a lot of it is based on how much emphasis the franchisee places on certain things. One of the regional franchise holders in my area puts a high premium on keeping their restaurants neat and tidy. Another, not so much. It's easy to know when you're not in that particular owner's stores, as some of them aren't kept nearly as clean.

I don't belong to Amazon Prime for the same reason I haven't joined Walmart+ -- it costs money. You have to pay extra for the privilege of being able to spend money. The only benefits I've seen to memberships like that is free expedited shipping. I'm not sure if Prime Day offers significant price reductions or not, but I don't feel like ponying up $129 or whatever it costs a year, and I may or may not save that much in shipping costs in any year to make it cost-effective.

I also haven't been a member of Sam's Club in ages. I no longer travel to or through Lexington frequently enough to make it worth my while to buy bulk quantities at discounts.

Back to the "open on Sundays" thing -- CFA got its start as a mall food court place, and they were closed on Sundays in malls as well while other restaurants were open. If there are other food choices, I don't know why they wouldn't be appropriate for service plazas or airports.

Most of the "blue sign" programs require participating restaurants to operate during certain hours. I wonder if some sort of exception has been carved out for CFA? Often, you'll see their logo on the signs with a "closed Sundays' notation.

[NWI_Irish96]

I don't belong to Amazon Prime for the same reason I haven't joined Walmart+ -- it costs money. You have to pay extra for the privilege of being able to spend money. The only benefits I've seen to memberships like that is free expedited shipping. I'm not sure if Prime Day offers significant price reductions or not, but I don't feel like ponying up $129 or whatever it costs a year, and I may or may not save that much in shipping costs in any year to make it cost-effective.

Amazon Prime also includes a subscription to Amazon Prime Video, which on its own is $8.99/month, and beginning in 2022 will include the Thursday night NFL games.

[kphoger]

Are CFA locations ... franchised?

Yes.

[kphoger]

Amazon Prime also includes a subscription to Amazon Prime Video, which on its own is $8.99/month, and beginning in 2022 will include the Thursday night NFL games.

In our family, the shipping discounts alone more than make up for the subscription cost, and the ability to watch shows on Prime Video is almost as important–the latter due to our having three sons and no cable TV subscription.

[jeffandnicole]

Most of the "blue sign" programs require participating restaurants to operate during certain hours. I wonder if some sort of exception has been carved out for CFA? Often, you'll see their logo on the signs with a "closed Sundays' notation.

To use Kansas as an example, restaurants must be open 6 days a week, 10 hours a day.

https://kansas.interstatelogos.com/state/eligibilityCriteria.aspx?programId=162

I think this is pretty standard; otherwise a lot ofbloval restaurants that are closed on Mondays would be knocked out. Those aren't seen too often on highway signs, but can be found on more rural exits.

[NWI_Irish96]

Amazon Prime also includes a subscription to Amazon Prime Video, which on its own is $8.99/month, and beginning in 2022 will include the Thursday night NFL games.

In our family, the shipping discounts alone more than make up for the subscription cost, and the ability to watch shows on Prime Video is almost as important–the latter due to our having three sons and no cable TV subscription.

We're still tethered to a TV subscription because it's really the only way to watch live sports. However, our internet provider (xfinity) gives a $30/month multiproduct discount and a $49/month discount for a 2 year contract so we're essentially getting TV for < $20/month.

[kphoger]

We're still tethered to a TV subscription because it's really the only way to watch live sports.

And we're not sports fans.  We watch the Super Bowl at someone else's house and the Olympics on rabbit ears or Peacock, but that's it.

Cutting cable is not very practical for serious sports fans, and it pretty much always involves making some sacrifice or another.  With whatever streaming service you go with, you might get local sports but not international soccer, or you'll get what you want for football but not basketball, or you'll get everything you want but not always live, or something like that.  You'll have to ask yourself, What sports do I want to watch that aren't worth the money I'll save?

[J N Winkler]

It has been suggested (I think upthread here) that it is useless to boycott Chick-fil-A on the basis of its owners' views since the owners of other restaurant corporations almost certainly hold repellent opinions but have nevertheless escaped the media spotlight.

While there is some truth to this, I think a distinction can be drawn on the basis of whether the owning entity is privately or publicly held.  More stringent disclosure requirements attach to the latter, which in principle makes it easier to enforce fiduciary duties to stockholders, including in cases where corporate leadership's views on hot-button issues (whether expressed directly or through publicly disclosed charitable contributions) are likely to alienate a large share of the customer base.

In terms of major restaurant brands, Chick-fil-A is privately held, while Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, WingStreet, KFC, Popeyes, Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, Arby's, Tim Hortons, and so on are publicly quoted, either by themselves or as subsidiaries of larger holding corporations.

There is also a distinction between being an entrepreneur and a portfolio investor.  Since I have money in diversified mutual funds that are open to all comers, I know that there are probably quite a few Klan members who have indirect ownership interests alongside me, including in major restaurant chains.  This is simply the way of the world.  Being an entrepreneur gives an individual much more say in how the business is run, however, and this is also the way of the world:  more risk, more reward.  On that basis alone it is justified to pay more attention to what the Cathys say and do on controversial social issues, independent of the form of ownership, just as we zero in on Mark Zuckerberg to get a sense of where Facebook will next shred the social fabric (Meta is publicly quoted but he is CEO and has a controlling interest).

Now, do I think the Chick-fil-A boycott has been effective?  No.  In our deeply polarized society, I think the company has actually pioneered the business model of going all-in on one side of a controversial issue and gambling that the counter-boycott will more than offset the boycott.  Does this mean that I will give Chick-fil-A any of my business?  No.  In terms of morality I am not a pure consequentialist:  in many cases, including this one, I will continue to do what I think is right without necessarily expecting it to lead to a tangible result.

[kphoger]

Now, do I think the Chick-fil-A boycott has been effective?  No.  In our deeply polarized society, I think the company has actually pioneered the business model of going all-in on one side of a controversial issue and gambling that the counter-boycott will more than offset the boycott.

Yep.  Back in 2012, I went to Chick-fil-A on both the "Kiss In" date and the "Appreciation Day".  On the former, there was a small group of about five or six sign-holding protesters on the sidewalk, and that was it.  On the latter, I stood in line for more than 1½ hours as it extended out the front door and doubled back on itself multiple times in the parking lot, while people came by to hand out bottles of water while we waited;  I had to park across the street, and there were police officers directing pedestrian traffic at the intersection.  "Appreciation Day" saw record-setting sales for CFA, and it would never have happened without the "Kiss In" having been called for to begin with.

[kalvado]

\

Now, do I think the Chick-fil-A boycott has been effective?  No.  In our deeply polarized society, I think the company has actually pioneered the business model of going all-in on one side of a controversial issue and gambling that the counter-boycott will more than offset the boycott.  Does this mean that I will give Chick-fil-A any of my business?  No.  In terms of morality I am not a pure consequentialist:  in many cases, including this one, I will continue to do what I think is right without necessarily expecting it to lead to a tangible result.

You may also think about it as a way to promote mediocre to low-quality products by claiming "improper" political views of competitors. Seem to be way more efficient than improving quality.

[Scott5114]

Restaurants bidding for a freeway service area berth should be contractually obliged to be open whenever the road's open, though.

I don't agree that it should necessarily be part of the contract, but rather that being closed for a whole day would make it quite unattractive as a candidate in the running.

Similarly, a restaurant being closed between 1 and 5 AM shouldn't be a deal breaker.  In fact, I can see reasons a service plaza might actually prefer that (such as getting a bit of a break from janitorial duties).

There's more traffic in the wee hours of the night than most people would think. Plenty of people execute long trips by doing driver switching rather than stop for the night, and of course there are plenty of trucks that run overnight too. I would say that an open restaurant at a service area is even more critical between 01:00 and 05:00, because it allows travelers a chance to go inside, somewhere bright, and have some sort of caffeinated beverage to stay awake. Thus it performs an important safety function as well as one of convenience.

As it so happens, my mom is the director of housekeeping for a 24-hour casino, so I've learned all of the little tricks to keeping a 24-hour facility clean. While it's more effort than would be required if the facility closed, it's really not all that much more, and actually is kind of similar to how road work is done. Basically, what you do is wait until customer volumes are at their lowest, then cone off about half of the customer-facing area, making sure to leave things there are only one of open as long as possible (last area to be closed and first area to be re-opened). You want to make sure that the area remaining open is big enough to hold all of the customers that come in while you have the area closed. While the area is closed, you give it a really good deep clean, deeper than you could get with customers around. Once that's done, reopen that area and cone off the part you didn't get before, and repeat.

[NWI_Irish96]

Restaurants bidding for a freeway service area berth should be contractually obliged to be open whenever the road's open, though.

I don't agree that it should necessarily be part of the contract, but rather that being closed for a whole day would make it quite unattractive as a candidate in the running.

Similarly, a restaurant being closed between 1 and 5 AM shouldn't be a deal breaker.  In fact, I can see reasons a service plaza might actually prefer that (such as getting a bit of a break from janitorial duties).

There's more traffic in the wee hours of the night than most people would think. Plenty of people execute long trips by doing driver switching rather than stop for the night, and of course there are plenty of trucks that run overnight too. I would say that an open restaurant at a service area is even more critical between 01:00 and 05:00, because it allows travelers a chance to go inside, somewhere bright, and have some sort of caffeinated beverage to stay awake. Thus it performs an important safety function as well as one of convenience.

As it so happens, my mom is the director of housekeeping for a 24-hour casino, so I've learned all of the little tricks to keeping a 24-hour facility clean. While it's more effort than would be required if the facility closed, it's really not all that much more, and actually is kind of similar to how road work is done. Basically, what you do is wait until customer volumes are at their lowest, then cone off about half of the customer-facing area, making sure to leave things there are only one of open as long as possible (last area to be closed and first area to be re-opened). You want to make sure that the area remaining open is big enough to hold all of the customers that come in while you have the area closed. While the area is closed, you give it a really good deep clean, deeper than you could get with customers around. Once that's done, reopen that area and cone off the part you didn't get before, and repeat.

I think in most places where the restaurants are closed overnight, the building is still open with access to bathrooms and either a small convenience store or vending machines.

[webny99]

There's more traffic in the wee hours of the night than most people would think. Plenty of people execute long trips by doing driver switching rather than stop for the night, and of course there are plenty of trucks that run overnight too. I would say that an open restaurant at a service area is even more critical between 01:00 and 05:00, because it allows travelers a chance to go inside, somewhere bright, and have some sort of caffeinated beverage to stay awake. Thus it performs an important safety function as well as one of convenience.

And to put an even finer point on this, the percentage of people on the road that stop at the service area is much higher late at night than it is during the daytime hours. In additional to providing bathrooms, fuel, etc., service areas are a great spot to switch drivers, or catch a short rest if you're on your own.

I'm fairly familiar with driver switching on long trips that extend into the night (although only twice has the trip extended past daybreak the following morning), and I've more than once been annoyed to find everything in a service area is closed - sometimes even as early as 9-10 PM. And for roads that have rest areas but not full service areas, it's nice to find travel stops like this one that are bright, big enough to walk around a bit (inside if it's a cold night) and open 24 hours.