Best resturants to have in service plazas?

[RoadWarrior56]

My biggest issue with McDonalds in recent years is that many of the restaurants are no longer very clean.  Bathrooms are often dirty and many of the tables are "un-bussed".  I think of McDonalds as a chain that is so large and so ubiquitous that it is just running on momentum and just taken for granted.  I am old enough to remember the original store types back in the early 60's with 15 cent hamburgers.  The restaurants were clean and well-run.  As a kid, it was always a treat to visit.  These days, I try to avoid them unless I am forced to use one, which is usually while on the road.

[skluth]

I'd be more likely to boycott the company that treats its employees poorly rather than the one whose beliefs differ from mine.

I agree 100%. (rest deleted though worth reading if you missed it)

This is why I don't have Amazon Prime. I'm offended by CFA but only mildly ambivalent if people eat there; I just prefer to eat elsewhere because I don't think they're as good as the other chicken options. I also think CFA treats their employees decently compared to other fast food workplaces. I really don't like it when an employer denies his employees reasonable breaks to use the toilet and other basic rights guaranteed by law which is why I really dislike Amazon. I'm not surprised one of their workplaces recently voted to unionize; their employees need protection.

My biggest issue with McDonalds in recent years is that many of the restaurants are no longer very clean.  Bathrooms are often dirty and many of the tables are "un-bussed".  I think of McDonalds as a chain that is so large and so ubiquitous that it is just running on momentum and just taken for granted.  I am old enough to remember the original store types back in the early 60's with 15 cent hamburgers.  The restaurants were clean and well-run.  As a kid, it was always a treat to visit.  These days, I try to avoid them unless I am forced to use one, which is usually while on the road.

Back in the last century, I used to eat mostly at McDonalds on the road specifically because I could count on their bathrooms being clean. They have been going downhill for a while but the last ten years or so I've been in a few that were positively disgusting and I no longer seek them out when traveling.

[kphoger]

I also think CFA treats their employees decently compared to other fast food workplaces.

I agree with that assessment.  I also appreciate it that the one nearest my house employs a lady who appears to have some sort of mental handicap;  in fact, she's worked there as long as I've been going there, which was not long after it opened.  There always seems to be enough staff on hand, I've never witnessed any unprofessional interaction between the workers, and people I've know who worked there have told me it's a good company to work for with adequate compensation.

That's a very different story compared to pretty much any other major fast food chain I frequent.

[Scott5114]

I care more about actions than words. The CEO of Chick-fil-A has well known religious/political views, but I've seen no indication of actual discrimination or mistreatment of LGBTQ employees or customers.

I'm not in favor of punishing CEOs for their beliefs so long as their beliefs don't directly impact people negatively. Otherwise you get a world full of CEOs who never express an opinion on anything.

The Chick-Fil-A controversy has never been about CFA as an organization directly treating people negatively, it's been about where their money goes. They are documented as having donated to charitable organizations that have explicit anti-LGBT policies, that advocate for anti-LGBT legislation, and even to an organization that promotes conversion therapy (which can take the form of using conditioning techniques to try to stop someone from finding the same sex attractive, which is ineffective at best and amounts to torture at worst; often those subjected to conversion therapy are minors who have no capacity to consent to the treatment).

CFA says it no longer gives to those organizations, and I have seen no assertion that they are being untruthful. However, there would be no way of knowing for sure if Dan Cathy is doing it in his own name, since he's a private citizen and his records are private. That being said, Cathy's political contributions are, like all political contributions, open to the public, and he is on record as having donated money to PACs trying to stop the passage of the Equality Act (which would ban discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity at the federal level).

So the problem is that if you have an interest in the advancement of LGBT rights, either as an ally or as an LGBT person yourself, spending money at Chick-Fil-A is indirectly funding the people working against you to achieve that goal. That's why people make a bigger deal about CFA than other companies. I'm sure bigoted CEOs are a dime a dozen, but they don't have a public track record of turning around and giving their money to discriminatory organizations.

[kphoger]

... that have explicit anti-LGBT policies, that advocate for anti-LGBT legislation ... that promotes conversion therapy ... trying to stop the passage of the Equality Act ...

Unless I'm mistaken, all of those things (not 100% certain about the conversion therapy one) are also supported by the largest non-Catholic denomination in the USA.  So, unless you plan to boycott all companies whose owners belong to one of those congregations (and therefore whose offerings go to such causes), then all you're really doing is picking off the most headline-topping business and patting yourself on the back about it.

[abefroman329]

... that have explicit anti-LGBT policies, that advocate for anti-LGBT legislation ... that promotes conversion therapy ... trying to stop the passage of the Equality Act ...

Unless I'm mistaken, all of those things (not 100% certain about the conversion therapy one) are also supported by the largest non-Catholic denomination in the USA.  So, unless you plan to boycott all companies whose owners belong to one of those congregations (and therefore whose offerings go to such causes), then all you're really doing is picking off the most headline-topping business and patting yourself on the back about it.

You're not being too terribly honest about the edits to Scott's post, and you're glossing over an important distinction: There is evidence that Dan Cathy is donating money directly to groups who advocate for these things.

[JayhawkCO]

... that have explicit anti-LGBT policies, that advocate for anti-LGBT legislation ... that promotes conversion therapy ... trying to stop the passage of the Equality Act ...

Unless I'm mistaken, all of those things (not 100% certain about the conversion therapy one) are also supported by the largest non-Catholic denomination in the USA.  So, unless you plan to boycott all companies whose owners belong to one of those congregations (and therefore whose offerings go to such causes), then all you're really doing is picking off the most headline-topping business and patting yourself on the back about it.

And hence why I'm also not religious.

[kphoger]

... that have explicit anti-LGBT policies, that advocate for anti-LGBT legislation ... that promotes conversion therapy ... trying to stop the passage of the Equality Act ...

Unless I'm mistaken, all of those things (not 100% certain about the conversion therapy one) are also supported by the largest non-Catholic denomination in the USA.  So, unless you plan to boycott all companies whose owners belong to one of those congregations (and therefore whose offerings go to such causes), then all you're really doing is picking off the most headline-topping business and patting yourself on the back about it.

And hence why I'm also not religious.

  That doesn't make sense.  Not all religious groups share the same beliefs.

[Scott5114]

... that have explicit anti-LGBT policies, that advocate for anti-LGBT legislation ... that promotes conversion therapy ... trying to stop the passage of the Equality Act ...

Unless I'm mistaken, all of those things (not 100% certain about the conversion therapy one) are also supported by the largest non-Catholic denomination in the USA.  So, unless you plan to boycott all companies whose owners belong to one of those congregations (and therefore whose offerings go to such causes), then all you're really doing is picking off the most headline-topping business and patting yourself on the back about it.

I mean, yes and no. There are plenty of people who go to congregations where they preach that sort of thing and they simply don't act on every lesson the pastor gives, or actively disagree with some of them and reject them as part of their belief system. (Which can of course lead to them changing congregations to one that aligns more with their personal convictions, if one is available.) There are plenty of people that go to a church because they feel the need to go to a church and only have access to a church of a certain denomination. (Everyone in Goldsby and Washington is Baptist because the only churches in Goldsby and Washington are Baptist. If you were Presbyterian, like my mom was when we moved to town, the options are to go to the Baptist church and tune out the parts you don't agree with, or stay home, which is what she opted for.)

In any event, you do have to draw the line somewhere. If a person thinks hateful things about me in their mind, or even speaks them in private, well, I can think they're unpleasant, but other people's mere opinions of me don't actually affect me much. But if that person is committing acts to harm me, or stop me from achieving my goals in life...well, now they're actively working against me, so I have reason to stop supporting them whenever I find out about it, no? Doing otherwise would be like George Washington continuing to supply Benedict Arnold with weapons after he found out he was a Loyalist.

[JayhawkCO]

... that have explicit anti-LGBT policies, that advocate for anti-LGBT legislation ... that promotes conversion therapy ... trying to stop the passage of the Equality Act ...

Unless I'm mistaken, all of those things (not 100% certain about the conversion therapy one) are also supported by the largest non-Catholic denomination in the USA.  So, unless you plan to boycott all companies whose owners belong to one of those congregations (and therefore whose offerings go to such causes), then all you're really doing is picking off the most headline-topping business and patting yourself on the back about it.

And hence why I'm also not religious.

  That doesn't make sense.  Not all religious groups share the same beliefs.

Well, they all have one belief that I don't have at a minimum. I know all religions are different, but many subscribe to similar ideologies as Mr. Cathy or similar restrictions that I find antithetical to my beliefs. I have no problems if people are religious*, but when their beliefs extend to legislation, I have a serious problem with that.

*I honestly believe the world would be better off without religion, but I would never advocate prohibitions on it.

[skluth]

... that have explicit anti-LGBT policies, that advocate for anti-LGBT legislation ... that promotes conversion therapy ... trying to stop the passage of the Equality Act ...

Unless I'm mistaken, all of those things (not 100% certain about the conversion therapy one) are also supported by the largest non-Catholic denomination in the USA.  So, unless you plan to boycott all companies whose owners belong to one of those congregations (and therefore whose offerings go to such causes), then all you're really doing is picking off the most headline-topping business and patting yourself on the back about it.

And hence why I'm also not religious.

  That doesn't make sense.  Not all religious groups share the same beliefs.

Well, they all have one belief that I don't have at a minimum. I know all religions are different, but many subscribe to similar ideologies as Mr. Cathy or similar restrictions that I find antithetical to my beliefs. I have no problems if people are religious*, but when their beliefs extend to legislation, I have a serious problem with that.

*I honestly believe the world would be better off without religion, but I would never advocate prohibitions on it.

As an openly gay person (and atheist), I'm not fond of Mr Cathy's donations. But CFA itself hasn't supported anti-LGBT+ stuff for a while now and like I stated above, they have a fairly good reputation among fast food companies as one of the better restaurants to work. I don't look at his donations any differently than Ray Kroc, who was a staunch conservative Nixon supporter. I also don't remember them firing LGBT people like Cracker Barrel (which I've avoided for at least 25 years now).

It might bother me if I actually liked CFA, but the couple times I've eaten at one I just wasn't impressed. It's the meh of chicken restaurants. I prefer Popeye's and even KFC if I want chicken and I'll check out Raising Cane's now that they've come to the Valley. The nearest CFA to my home is at least 45 minutes away, so it's doubtful I'll start eating there soon.

[abefroman329]

I also don't remember them firing LGBT people like Cracker Barrel (which I've avoided for at least 25 years now).

(a) that's awful
(b) there's also the fact that they made a practice of assigning black servers to black parties, making black parties pre-pay for their food, adding auto-gratuity to black parties that were too small for it...
(c) I'd be surprised if Chick-fil-a had any LGBT employees to begin with

[abefroman329]

Well, they all have one belief that I don't have at a minimum.

If that one belief is "there's an invisible man in the sky," then I'm with you there.

[kphoger]

In a desperate effort to get this thread back on track...

I don't think any restaurant that's closed on Sundays would be a good choice for service plazas–or airports, for that matter.

[JayhawkCO]

In a desperate effort to get this thread back on track...

I don't think any restaurant that's closed on Sundays would be a good choice for service plazas–or airports, for that matter.

Agreed. Not to dive back into the CFA discussion, but are there any other big chains that also are closed on Sundays?

[webny99]

In a desperate effort to get this thread back on track...

I don't think any restaurant that's closed on Sundays would be a good choice for service plazas–or airports, for that matter.

Agreed. Not to dive back into the CFA discussion, but are there any other big chains that also are closed on Sundays?

Not a food chain, but Hobby Lobby, for one.

[kphoger]

In a desperate effort to get this thread back on track...

I don't think any restaurant that's closed on Sundays would be a good choice for service plazas–or airports, for that matter.

Agreed. Not to dive back into the CFA discussion, but are there any other big chains that also are closed on Sundays?

Related to the topic at hand, I'd be more interested to know if there are any non-CFA restaurants at service plazas that are closed on Sundays–not just big chains.

[JayhawkCO]

In a desperate effort to get this thread back on track...

I don't think any restaurant that's closed on Sundays would be a good choice for service plazas–or airports, for that matter.

Agreed. Not to dive back into the CFA discussion, but are there any other big chains that also are closed on Sundays?

Related to the topic at hand, I'd be more interested to know if there are any non-CFA restaurants at service plazas that are closed on Sundays–not just big chains.

I feel like it would be bad business, no? People going on trips would be more likely on a Sunday than say, a Tuesday, right? Midweek is more for commuting, and I would think the necessity of stopping for food would be less.

[abefroman329]

I don't think any restaurant that's closed on Sundays would be a good choice for service plazas–or airports, for that matter.

There are a number of locations in airports in the US, and they still stay closed on Sundays.

As I recall, the state of Georgia (!) wouldn't put CFA on the list of services available at highway exits because they were closed Sundays, and they finally agreed to add them along with a CLOSED SUNDAYS message below the restaurant name.

[DenverBrian]

It's hard for anyone to find any business whose views align 100 percent with yours, so that's not really a factor for me except in limited instances.

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.

[HighwayStar]

I don't think any restaurant that's closed on Sundays would be a good choice for service plazas–or airports, for that matter.

There are a number of locations in airports in the US, and they still stay closed on Sundays.

As I recall, the state of Georgia (!) wouldn't put CFA on the list of services available at highway exits because they were closed Sundays, and they finally agreed to add them along with a CLOSED SUNDAYS message below the restaurant name.

I have seen those, frankly I wish more restaurants closed on Sundays.

[Scott5114]

I don't think any restaurant that's closed on Sundays would be a good choice for service plazas–or airports, for that matter.

There are a number of locations in airports in the US, and they still stay closed on Sundays.

As I recall, the state of Georgia (!) wouldn't put CFA on the list of services available at highway exits because they were closed Sundays, and they finally agreed to add them along with a CLOSED SUNDAYS message below the restaurant name.

I have seen those, frankly I wish more restaurants closed on Sundays.

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).

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

[TheHighwayMan3561]

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.

[webny99]

Related to the topic at hand, I'd be more interested to know if there are any non-CFA restaurants at service plazas that are closed on Sundays–not just big chains.

I feel like it would be bad business, no? People going on trips would be more likely on a Sunday than say, a Tuesday, right? Midweek is more for commuting, and I would think the necessity of stopping for food would be less.

I would think Saturday would be the #1 day for trips, followed closely by Friday and Sunday. But during the summer months you do get plenty of people traveling all days and hours of the week.

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.

[jp the roadgeek]

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.